


Everyday With You Is An Adventure

by smilingsarah10



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Also don't get excited by the explicit rating because nobody has any orgasms so, Coffee Shops, M/M, Magical Realism, Minor Chris "Chowder" Chow/Caitlin Farmer, Minor Eric Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Minor Larissa "Lardo" Duan/Shitty Knight, Minor Violence, Multi, Very brief reference to homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 02:28:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16631150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilingsarah10/pseuds/smilingsarah10
Summary: William Pointdexter lives a relatively boring life in a big city that is upturned by the installation of a new coffee shop that he literally stumbles upon on his way home from work. When reason meets whimsy in the form of the cute, yet eccentric new barista that owns the store, we are left to see if Dex is willing to re-examine what means more to him, his brain or his heart."Will felt himself wobble as he tried to wrap his senses around what was going on. He needed to breathe. He needed to focus. Derek, waving in front of Will’s face to get his attention, looked extremely concerned... Will couldn’t tell when he passed out or if he had only said or thought, 'You’re an angel.' "





	1. A Mushroom By Any Other Name Is Just As Sweet?

**Author's Note:**

> This has been such a wild ride since the beginning, but now, I have almost 30K of Nursey/Dex shenanigans to share with you all. As far as the tags go, the violence is mostly mentioned in passing and is not described in a gruesome way. You could blink and miss the homophobia. AND if people are interested, I can write a follow up about our boys finally finishing the act and living their post story lives. 
> 
> In conjunction with this story, I have gotten to work with some amazing artists! picktheonesthatlast did an amazing 8tracks playlist and sexydexynurse made some really amazing aesthetic boards to go along with the story. Links to all of that are can be found here in Chapter 1, although there may be some spoilers if you look really hard.

[Today, It Will Be Warm](https://8tracks.com/tamerlorika/today-it-will-be-warm?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) from [tamerlorika](http://8tracks.com/tamerlorika?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) on [8tracks Radio](https://8tracks.com?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button).

[Link to Dex Image](https://www.flickr.com/photos/145123058@N05/45786466922/)

[Link to Nursey Image](https://www.flickr.com/photos/145123058@N05/31964813408/)

Not many things caught Will’s attention when he was on his way home from work. After a long day of examining code and rewriting it to fix someone else’s incompetence, the endless resource that was his smart phone called to him, and he hardly had any reason to look up at all. This was much to the chagrin of his friend’s, who were more of ‘stop and smell the roses’ type of people. They would have found endless amusement in Will’s position: face down on the pavement because he had not been paying enough attention and tripped over… a tree branch? 

Will quickly picked himself up off the ground, dusting off his slacks and making sure his phone was intact. When he was back in order, he took a second to look around. There was a small ring of stones, mushrooms, and what appeared to be tree roots circling the outside of a small building that Will couldn’t stop staring at. Will was sure that the cottage hadn’t been there the day previous, or even that morning. But there it was: a sign on the door bidding welcome to patrons. The benches and tables outside looked like they were made of mushrooms giving the area a vibe that screamed ‘lost in the forest’ even though he was still in the middle of the city. Will went over and touched one to prove to himself that it couldn’t be an actual mushroom. He recoiled at the velvety plush texture but sat on one as if he was determined to fight back against the whimsical onslaught to his senses. Unfortunately, sitting on the mushroom felt exactly like he would have expected it to. _‘What a weird realistic aesthetic. I wonder…’_

Will walked up to the door, pausing before opening it to look at the tiny menu posted beside the door with the hours of the establishment. The looping script gave descriptions of the different hot beverages you could get inside with added ingredients like ‘courage’, ‘cunning’, and ‘happiness’ for a small fee of a conversation. The atmosphere of the outside made Will feel as if he was walking into a weird fairy tale, and as he pushed the door open to the inside, he gasped. 

If the outside had been ‘whimsical’, the inside could only be described as magical. The door opened to a sitting area filled with a mishmash of assorted colors of couches and chairs that all looked like giant blooming flowers or parts of the root system of a large tree. There were plants hanging from the ceiling that had to have been masking the source of twinkling lights that shone from a seemingly long distance away, although they had to have only been as far as the ceiling. Will’s eyes followed the thickening amount of plants to the back of that front room where there was a giant tree laid into the wall with a doorway that you could walk through. Will’s feet kicked into gear, following his eyes through the doorway and into a cozy interior room that mixed a rustic vibe with what you’d see at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. There were benches and tables and teacups everywhere, their rigid lines set off by the plush blankets and pillows scattered throughout the inside. Of course, when he looked up, there were more plants and _stars_ … er maybe just some more of the twinkling lights from earlier, with plants that grew on vines flowering from the pots that hung down. 

Will was so busy looking up, that he failed to notice the barista approaching him. “Good afternoon, Sir! Could I get you a drink, or are you here to admire the horticulture?” 

Will spun to the source of the sass and was about to deliver a witty response but was caught off guard by how gorgeous the shop-keeper was. He was eye to eye with Will, dark green eyes almost as captivating as his impish smile. The way he was rocking back onto his heels waiting for Will’s response highlighted the muscles hidden under his clothes. He was in business casual tight jeans and a button up with an apron covering most of him and some oxfords to tie the look together. Will stuttered out, “Uhm. Nice shoes.” 

“Thank you! Fashion has changed a lot since I was here last, but oxfords will apparently never go out of style. What’s your name?” The shop keeper’s smile was so mesmerizing. He seemed to sparkle as he spoke. Will immediately thought that he needed to invite everyone he knew to this shop just to confirm that it was real and not an illusion produced from Will’s head meeting the concrete. 

“William Pointdexter. Are you new to the city, or you said you were returning?” Will asked politely, looking for a name tag in lieu of asking the man’s name. There wasn’t one in sight. 

The man hesitated. “Well technically returning, but it’s been so long that I fear I do not know much about the area anymore.” 

Will grinned inwardly, “Oh, well, I only live about a block from here. I could show you around sometime if you would like.” 

The man’s eyebrows rose in surprise, “I would greatly appreciate it, but isn’t it a bit odd to be inviting a stranger around town?” 

“Maybe we could become less like strangers, then. If I pay for two cups, would you have some time to sit down with me?” Will fell into the flirt easily. There was a portion of his life where he would not have been caught dead flirting with anyone, much less a man as impressive as the one in front of him. Luckily, years of patience from his friends had led to self-acceptance and practice. By the way the other man’s eyes were gleaming, it looked as if he was doing just fine. 

He moved behind the bar that Will hadn’t noticed before, pulling out two mugs and started making them some drinks. “You look like an Americano kind of guy. And since we are sharing a conversation, is there anything additional I could throw in?" The man ducked down to pull some mugs out of a hidden cupboard behind the bar. With an audible smirk, he continued, "You don’t have to pay. As my first guest here, it’s on the house.” 

Will halted pulling out his wallet to grumble about what a poor business strategy that was, causing the other man to laugh. “I think maybe some ‘suspended disbelief’ would do you worlds of good.” He spun around to his shelves and frowned, looking as if he hadn’t realized how high they were until that moment. As Will watched him contemplate how to get to a jar on top of the cabinet, the man asked, “So, you’re in no rush to go then? No one waiting anxiously for their love to come back home?” 

Will chuckled. “No lover to be seen. Just a grumpy cat who still has a few hours before she will be ready to beg me for food again. What about you? Did you set up shop alone or is there someone I should ask forgiveness of before I continue to flirt with you?” Will asked. He was already pulling out his phone, prepared to exchange numbers when he noticed that it was not turning on for some reason. _‘Strange,’_ he thought putting away his phone and looking up to see the man behind the counter giving him one of his dazzling smiles. 

“Oh, are we flirting? And on my first day here! How novel!” Will couldn’t get over how he seemed to shimmer regardless of the light. Will saw him scurry up onto the counter to stand so that he could just barely reach two small jars of translucent powder off of the top shelf. The man wobbled precariously, the hands that he had been using for balance now occupied by jars. Will rushed behind the counter without thinking, ready to catch the poor man and his jars if necessary. Although Will braced for impact, the man's fall felt much lighter than it should have been, almost as if something had prevented his fall other than Will. Instead of thinking too hard about it, Will let the other man get to his feet and returned to his spot behind the counter. Maybe the walking to work had kept up his old hockey muscle better than he had anticipated. 

The man thanked Will profusely while preparing their drinks. Will let them slip into a comfortable silence so that he could observe the other man obviously in his element. The machines responded to him with the slightest touch. Often, it looked as if just a gesture could set them off. Will filed away his questions for later as the aroma of fresh brews filled the air. Putting a sprinkle of powder from the jars into each of their mugs, the man finally slid one across the bar to Will. 

“Well since you know my name, I don’t suppose you would tell me yours?” Will asked innocently, sniffing his coffee before taking a long drink. It was the best coffee he had the pleasure of drinking in a long time. He swallowed back a most embarrassing groan around his second gulp in order to try and keep some semblance of the "suave" look that he was going for as he eagerly awaited the answer to his question. 

The man took a sip from his own mug, a knowing smile creeping onto his features as he watched Will try not to be startled by how perfect the coffee was for him. “I don’t have a habit of telling dashing rogues my name, but since you were so open with me, I will return the boon. My name is Derek Nurse.” 


	2. Angelic is Only A Descriptor, Right?

From that day, Will found himself in the coffee shop pretty much everyday before and after work, strictly for the coffee, of course. Derek always seemed to find the time to have his favorite drink ready to go from the moment he walked in. Some days it was a chai tea latte with a splash of the giggles that left Will feeling a little giddy all afternoon. Other days it was a bitter hot toddy with a splash of comfort to help with a sore throat that he did not remember mentioning. In the weeks that this went on, Derek never accepted payment for any of the beverages. 

Will began to get creative, using his outings with Derek to make up for the coffees as much as he could. While he was introducing Derek to the city, he would always pick up little trinkets that Derek had his eye on. Some of them were kitschy souvenirs that no discerning tourist would want, but Derek seemed to love. Others were small snacks and drinks that brought a smile to his face. On the anniversary of their first meeting, Will brought out the proverbial big guns. He had hand carved a beautiful ladder that would blend in with the décor of the shop and would keep Derek from climbing on, and in turn falling off of, the counters in his shop to get to all of his ingredients. 

Derek’s face lit up in delight, even if he was a little confused. “This is gorgeous, Will, but what is it for?” 

Will blushed and walked it behind the counter that, “held all the magic,” as Derek claimed. “I just get so nervous watching you climb on the counters. I’m so afraid that you’ll fall and hurt yourself. For as angelic as you seem, you’re a clumsy dork.” 

Derek snorted at the dichotomy of the compliment and barb, but blushed prettily and accepted the gift with grace. “You know, now I’m going to owe you something. And we can’t have that.” 

“Nonsense,” Will scoffed, “You’ve been giving me free drinks from the moment that I stepped in the shop. If anything, I still owe you…” Will only trailed off as he noticed his surroundings seeming to change. The twinkle lights above seemed to be moving down closer towards them as if reacting to what Will was reading as heat in Derek’s gaze. Had the flowers near them been in such full bloom when he had originally walked in? Derek followed Will’s eyes to the changing surroundings and let out a tiny gasp. 

As quickly as things seemed to heat up and _shift_ , they returned to normal with an almost imperceptible headshake from Derek. Will filed this away in his ever growing list of things to ask about before changing the subject to help put a smile back on Derek's face. “So other than wander around with me, what have you most liked about the city during your year here?” 

Derek seemed to find his footing and walked behind the counter to start making them drinks as per usual. “Well, the city has changed so much since the last time I visited. When I was here, the social structures were… stricter. But, in a way, it made it easier to understand where you fell with the people around you. There were none of the silly games and questions that I have witnessed in today’s time. There are teens in here all the time, chatting about who is 'talking' or 'getting together'. How do they ever keep up with it all?” 

Derek brought the two steaming mugs over to the low table that he and Will normally sat at after hours, and Will took his with a goofy grin. “You always talk as if it has been years since you were last here. There’s no way you’re a day older than me. Do you mean when you were a teenager?” 

“You could say that, yes. I was much younger then. However, there are perks to being in the here and now. I have young adults of the same gender coming in here sometimes as pairs, sometimes as more, holding hands and stealing kisses. At first, I was honored that they trusted my establishment with their secret, but the more we go out, the more I notice that this world has evolved to express love in more ways and is accepting of more and more people. It’s phenomenal. One of the reasons I came back,” Derek finished with a smirk and a pointed look at Will. The tips of Will’s ears colored easily as he picked up the subtle flirt and choked a little on the drink in front of him. 

They enjoyed the quiet of the coffee shop for a moment more, sipping their drinks. “What made you decide to open a coffee shop?” Will broke the silence, trying to learn more about his companion. 

Even going out for a year, there was so much Will didn’t know about Derek. Derek kept to himself and did not typically give much away when it came to his past or any previous interests outside of witty flirting with Will. He had talked in depth about the here and now, often more literally than Will was used to, and had been a hoot and a half around Will’s friends, making them laugh and telling the most entertaining stories about patrons to the coffee shop. 

But there were also many oddities. No matter how close he appeared to get with Will’s coding friends, Derek had preferred that they all go by nicknames and had taken over the introductions to make obvious that he did not want Will’s friends to know his actual name. Will never pushed him on it. He could appreciate a man of secrecy, and if that meant calling him Nursey when they were around other people, so be it. 

“It’s a timeless practice, and I am good at it. Besides, you get to learn a lot about a place by owning a spot where people are comfortable letting their walls down. What about you? What job are you passionate about?” His gaze on Will was as intense as ever, and Will would have flinched away if he had not developed this sense of intimacy with Derek that he felt safe in. Or maybe it was the tea he couldn’t quite place the flavor of. 

“I chose coding because it was a challenge, and it gave me an opportunity to create something without having to be the one in front of people talking about it later. I don’t much like being in the spotlight. Other than that, I’m passionate about my cat. And coffee. And apparently cute baristas,” Will threw in with a wink. 

It was interesting to see the blush appear back on Derek’s face along with a pleased smile. “You think I’m cute, William?” 

Will was surprised at how the use of his full name coming out of Derek’s mouth made him pinken. No one but his mother had called him that in a long time. Normally, he hated it. The way the syllables rolled off of Derek’s tongue, however, made him feel present, attentive, and a little turned on in an intimate way. He crossed his legs to try to get his pants situation under control. Derek took note of this, realized that he now had the upper hand, and pushed further. “Did I say something wrong, William? Do you not find me cute?” 

Will felt his skin heat from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears, but was too entranced to think of being embarrassed for it. “Of course I think you’re cute. No one calls me by my full name is all. Except my mom when I’m in trouble… well, and you. But I’m not comparing you to my mom! And you don’t say it like she does. That would definitely be…” Will realized he was rambling and also digging a hole that would actually be embarrassing to him later if he did not stop then. “The point is, I think that you are more than cute: you’re the most gorgeous man I have ever met, and I like the way my name sounds when you say it.” 

Derek claimed that he was _definitely not_ laughing behind his hand, but the extra sparkle in his already animated eyes gave away his feelings. Will let it happen; he had learned in his lifetime to laugh at himself, and he knew from their time together that Derek meant no harm by it. Derek took a sip of his drink. “Words have a lot of power, even in this world, you know? Giving away your name, especially your full name, is an act of trust: a vulnerability, if you will. If someone graces you with their name, it would be wrong to call them something else. Almost a slap in the face. Besides, I also like saying your name.” 

Will hardly ever felt like he was on Earth when he spent time with Derek: the way he talked, their environment, and the spark of connection between the two of them feeling too magical to be real. When Derek took Will’s hand, the feeling was exacerbated. Will thought he could feel and identify both of their heartbeats through Derek’s palm, but, more than that, he thought that he could catch glimpses of their individual emotions and thoughts. _”Must be something weird in the coffee today…”_ was all Will had time to think before Derek was pulling away and standing up. 

“Oh, gracious, I do apologize,” he started to stammer out, “That was so forward… very, very forward of me. I didn’t even think of what could… You’re probably freaked out…” Will had seen the beginnings of anxiety attacks before, had lived through his own, and made a quick decision to try to help. 

Will laid his hand on Derek’s shoulder gently enough to get his attention but with enough weight to feel comforting. “Derek, hey, I’m not at all offended by us holding hands. I didn’t think it was too forward. I quite liked it, actually.” 

Derek stilled, looking confused, but with blooming relief. “So, you weren’t panicking? That was alright?” 

Will smiled. “Of course,” he dropped his hand when Derek returned to his seat, “I was actually wanting to ask you something. We have been seeing each other and going on dates for a long time now. I have immensely enjoyed our time together, both alone and with my friends. They love hanging out with you and find you so charming. I would like to continue to see you seriously, but I realized the other day that I never formally asked.” 

The words felt weird on his tongue even though Will had practiced them in the mirror a million and one times (and had even held his cat, Whiskers, up in the air to practice with eye contact. This went as well as you might expect.) Nevertheless, Will pushed on, determined to get through _finally_ asking what had been on his mind and bolstered by the elated surprise that he could read on Derek’s features. “I would like to officially be your boyfriend. I read mixed results about whether that was courting or dating or ‘going steady’, but I would like to do all of that if you would like to.” 

Derek carefully took Will’s hand. The surprised look on his face took a bittersweet turn as he quietly stated, “Will, I would very much like to be courted by you. Unfortunately, I have not been quite as forthcoming as I fear might have been necessary for you to make an informed decision. Courting me or dating me or even going steady with me might get… complicated. I want to show you something, and I will understand completely if it scares you away.” 

Will was about to protest, or ask the millions of little questions that had been burning in his mind since day one, but the melancholy seriousness in Derek’s voice was enough to inform his decision to sit back and watch. He gave a slight nod and what he hoped was a comforting pat of Derek’s hand. Derek stood up from his chair, murmuring something about finding smelling salts “just in case” before returning to their little alcove. 

“How much do you know about mythology?” Derek asked gently as he removed his apron, folding it and sitting it on the table. Will was only barely paying attention to the question, lost in the way that he could only barely see hints of well defined muscle moving underneath Derek’s work clothes. After a beat too long, he ripped his eyes back to focus to find a hint of a smirk hidden in Derek’s mock disapproving stare. 

Will shrugged, “I am familiar with your basic Disney fairy tales. I’ve read a few of the Grimm stories. I took a course in undergrad called ‘Death and the Afterlife’ that touched on ancient religion to modern day myths involving the human experience, but I am by no means an expert in any of them. You obviously know a lot about them just based on this shop though. Why do you ask?” 

It was getting harder and harder for Will to focus as Derek had begun to take off the sweater vest he had on over his button up to start unbuttoning it. Will wasn’t going to question it, but he did start sweating and trying to remember the last time he had done what he thought _this_ was with another man, or with any other person for that matter. In his rushing thoughts, he missed another question from Derek. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this enchanted watching someone remove their clothes before, but he could physically not move an inch or look away. “What?” he finally managed to croak out when his tongue stopped acting like a dead weight in his mouth. 

Derek didn’t seem to be annoyed by having to repeat himself. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be looking at Will with pity. “Have you ever put any thought into where fairy tales originate? If, perhaps, there was some truth to them behind the glamour and exaggeration?” 

Will hummed as throughtfully as he could, but it came out more as a grunt with how dry his throat was. He tied to rub his already sweaty hands across his pants to calm his reaction to seeing Derek’s chest and arms sans his shirt. It took him a little longer than he would later be willing to admit to notice the glimmering marks across the muscle that he was decidedly not drooling over. With awe, he reached out to trace what looked like runes and plants and a looping script that seemed to scroll across different parts of Derek’s torso and arms. 

“Can I touch them?” Will thought, or must have said aloud since Derek nodded. As Will’s hands rose to touch the marks across Derek’s body, he realized that they were shimmering as if the tattoos were embedded with glitter. As his fingers brushed against them, they lit up in a brilliant gold and Derek shuddered underneath the shift in color. 

“Did that hurt?” Will asked, concerned. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed. As someone who normally trusted his eyes to get him through life, what he was seeing was frankly unbelievable. Even Will knew that it was uncouth to ask your significant other, _“What are you?!”_ So, instead, he focused on his mounting concern for what was happening with Derek. 

The longer Will examined Derek before he could respond, the less his shudder seemed like pain and the more it seemed like arousal. Eyes opening and revealing irises that were otherworldly shining, Derek smiled. His canines seemed sharper, and his smile was wider and wilder than Will was used to, but he was still blazingly attractive and wholly himself. Well, he was himself plus… “Are those wings?” 

Will felt himself wobble as he tried to wrap his senses around what was going on. He needed to breathe. He needed to focus. Derek, waving in front of Will’s face to get his attention, looked extremely concerned. For a second, Will assumed that the protrusions behind Derek were giant monarch butterfly wings, but that would have never done the beautiful fall patterned wings with their whirling, melting colors justice. Will couldn’t tell when he passed out or if he had only said or thought, “You’re an angel.” 


	3. We Are Never Actually Touching Solid Ground, Our Atoms are Just Vibrating REALLY Hard

A foul smell brought Will back out of the darkness. When he came to, Derek was on his knees, cradling Will’s head in his lap with one hand, using the aforementioned smelling salts with the other. He was also muttering to himself about how that had been stupid and too much. When he noticed that Will was awake, he smiled sheepishly. “How are you feeling?” 

“Did I just have a hallucination? Did you slip me drugs?” Will asked, only half joking. He went on to explain that he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped onto him after a bad high. He squinted up at Derek. There were no wings, and his chest looked bare. Not that his chest wasn’t still beautiful to look at, and, had he not been thinking so hard, he would have enjoyed laying in Derek’s arms while he was half naked. Instead, he was examining the now bare chest with scrutiny, looking for the glowing tattoos from earlier. “In all seriousness, Derek, what just happened?” 

Derek started to squirm minutely. “I want to make sure that you are alright before we talk anymore about this. Your head did not hit the floor when you fell, so I am not concerned about a concussion, but I know that you were overwhelmed.” 

“I appreciate your concern, but I will feel best when I can understand what is going on. Tell me I was hallucinating five minutes ago,” Will prodded for information again. He felt bad when he felt Derek cringe... again. 

“I _literally_ cannot tell you that,” Derek gently touched his face, and Will leaned into it. Just like earlier, Will felt an intimate connection between himself and Derek. They normally had a stronger connection than Will had with any other partner he had been with, but this was different. This felt… “You are magical. Not just in a complimentary way. You are literally magic.” 

“A faerie, to be exact,” Derek said softly, “It’s been a long time since I have removed my glamour with someone else present. I am sorry that was a little… much.” 

Will laid his head back in Derek’s lap and enjoyed a thoughtful silence, “Will it be that intense everytime?” the caution in his question was overtaken by the optimism in his voice that maybe there would be a next time. 

Derek was sure he had not heard the question correctly as he had assumed that this was the part of the story where Will would choose his rationality over Derek’s whimsy, “Pardon?” 

“If I see it again, will it always be that intensity? Or will I develop a tolerance for it? I didn’t get much of a look the first time, you know?” Will grinned sheepishly, “I’m not trying to make you feel like a zoo exhibit, but I am _exceptionally_ interested in seeing your body again.” 

It only took a second for Will to think back through what he said and recognize what might be the source of Derek’s smirk. “You know what I mean! Like, your wings and stuff. Jeez…” 

Will certainly felt the shift as much as he had the first time, but he was more ready for it. He did his best to make observations in his mind while it was happening to ground his thoughts from the unfamiliar onslaught. It felt like he was in magic soup: the air thick and looking almost as if he was observing around them hot pavement on a summer’s day. Derek was the only thing that didn’t swim in his vision; on the contrary, he was all crisp glowing colors and lines. Will took a deep breath, cleared the fog from his brain, and stood up from where he was still lying on Derek’s lap. He didn’t want to pass out again before he had a better chance to see Derek’s form as it was. 

Derek stayed kneeling on the floor while Will took in the sight. The glowing tattoos seemed to flow past the waistband of Derek’s dress pants, but the truly astonishing sight before Will was once again Derek’s wings. Will ran his hand down the edge of the wing closest to him, from where it arced high above Derek’s head down to where it connected to his shoulder blade. Derek’s shiver melted into a soft moan, “Oh, _merciful Queens_ , that feels amazing.” 

Will smiled at the odd expletive, but continued to stroke Derek’s wings. The rigid structure along the arcs felt like a hardened cartilage: tough like bone, but pliable and _apparently_ sensitive. The pad of the wing felt like a thin velvet, and the colors swirled and rushed to follow Will’s touches as if they, too, were enchanted. “I’m going to end up embarrassing myself if you continue to do that, William.” 

Will let his hands fall to Derek’s shoulders. As soon as they were skin to skin, Will was able to sense Derek’s thoughts and feelings as if he could see into his mind. He found relief, excitement, some shame, and contentment. His sensing was interrupted by Derek clearing his throat. “It’s normally considered rude to bump around in someone’s thoughts without their permission, but, in this case, since I believe that you don’t realize what you’re doing, I would be willing to make an exception.” 

Will let his hands fall to his sides. “You’ve very right. My eccentric boyfriend is a faerie, and I have _no idea_ what I’m doing. As a matter of fact, I am partially convinced that this is all a dream from falling and hitting my head...” Will plowed through with a goofy grin before Derek’s face could turn sour, “BUT I am very interested in learning what it takes to be a good partner to you. What do I need to know to date you? To _woo_ you?” Derek was looking at Will as if Will was partially insane, but let him finish, “And I mean the real you, wings and magic and all.” 

“So you’re not going to go running off afraid now? You really want to date me?” Derek looked stunned. The expression highlighted his sharper teeth and glowing eyes, and Will felt the same fondness in seeing him as he did on every other occasion, maybe even more so now. 

Will smiled reassuringly, “Of course. You’ll just have to give me some leeway while I learn more about you.” 


	4. Crash Courses in Astrophysics Might Prove A Simpler Explanation, but No More Believable

The next few weeks, Will learned more about the fair folk than he had ever wanted to know before stumbling on Derek Nurse. Derek had spelled out the important rules first. 

1\. All faeries cannot touch iron. It will burn them, cause intense nausea, and nullifies magic. Using iron in household goods or weapons is considered an act of hostility regardless of a human’s intent to use it. 

2\. Faeries, contrary to popular belief, do not enjoy shiny things, especially not ones without value. It can be (and is) considered rude to offer them paperclips, aluminum foil, or buttons. Will learned this organically when he offered to mend one of Derek’s vests that had ripped a button. Will catalogued the tangential rant away so that he wouldn’t make any mistakes later on, and only laughed a little at Derek’s obsession with Fool’s Gold. 

3\. Most faeries have become less traditional as time has gone on about what is and is not an appropriate way to say or demonstrate gratitude. Most will accept a verbal “thank you,” when they are in the mortal world. Traditionalists will not. It is best to have snacks or something other than cash to pay them with if you run into them to avoid mischief. Asking favors of the fae is still currently considered dangerous. They will expect something valuable that will be both inconvenient and ill-timed in return. 

3a. Similarly, faeries hate cash or any monetary system designed by mortals. Derek tends to think this is an elitism thing, but Will got a headache trying to imagine the conversions that the Fae would have to do to estimate the inflation and worth of different monetary systems that made little sense already. 

4\. The court system was matrilineal and complex. Derek made it a little easier by pulling out what looked like a Little Gold Book written for faerie children one morning. It told the story of the light and dark courts, and their split into four subdivisions that were seasonally tied. The light courts were not necessarily good, the dark courts were not necessarily bad, and you did not have to stay in the court you were born to… unless you were born to royalty. Each court has three leaders. The prime leader is the Queen. She is protected by a Knight and wields the most power of her court. Flanking the Queen are the Queen Mother and the Princess. The Queen Mother is the last Queen to step down from the throne. She will stay the Queen Mother until she is killed or until she passes away naturally. She yields just as much power as the Queen, but has a limited amount of energy to do so. The Princess is the opposite. She has almost endless amounts of energy, but her magical ability has to build over time. The Princess is in a constant place of danger: if someone defeats her, they get a chance to be the Princess. She is also the only one in court without an official Knight to protect her: there is often one appointed or chosen, but they do not necessarily automatically become the Queen’s knight if the princess wins the throne. Most of the time, the Princess is the most ruthless of the three. The only way to move up the ranks is for someone to die, and because the Queen has nearly fathomless energy and power, the Queen Mother is usually the target. When the Queen Mother dies, there is supposed to be a battle on the day of the coronation. The current Queen will take the crown as Queen Mother, and there will be a final call for challengers to the Princess. The last challenger in the ring with the current Princess will either become the new Princess or surpass the Princess to become the Queen. These last two contestants are protected by magic. If they were to die, they would come back revived. All others lost in the battle would be gone for good. 

Will shuddered at the end of the small book. “That… sounds horrendous.” 

Derek laughed. If Will had not started to grow used to his boyfriend’s fairy form, the appearance of his canines mixed with his laugh would have seemed sinister. Instead, Will could recognize the tells that gave away his actual countenance. “It is not more morbid than fairy tales have always been. There’s something about the macabre nature of some courts that your writers latched onto,” he explained, teasing a little as he often did about the writers of old, “Like I said, most courts have come around and are a bit more diplomatic. The people typically choose the Princess they want to represent them, and there is hardly ever a battle for the throne. Most of the time, the Queen Mother decides when she wants to die and the progression happens peacefully. Unfortunately, there will always be faeries and mortals who refuse to follow the path of peace, hungry for acclaim or power or balance. In cases like that, the Queen Mother can try to sleep longer and lure a quick end so that the overtaking queen ends up moving to Queen Mother sooner. The book was not kidding when it said that the Queen Mother gets tired. Unlike most faeries, the weight of responsibility physically exhausts the queens. By the time the Queen Mother is only 3,000, she sleeps the equivalent of 15-20 earth hours a day. By the time she is 5,000, well, we can just say that the Queen is showing her mercy by taking some of that responsibility.” 

Will blinked rapidly, the numbers once again short-circuiting his brain, distracting him from the royal progression. “How long is the average life-span of a faerie?” 

Derek frowned, the thought making him think hard. “You know, we don’t really have an average. Some faeries live only a couple hundred years. Others claim that they have been around since the dawn of time. Some go missing, and it is unknown whether they are just traveling to another realm or actually gone. They don’t take a census or anything like that.” 

“How old are you?” Will asked, sheepishly. He still was a little wary of what questions were considered rude. Derek’s soft smirk was reassuring. 

“Much, much too old for you,” he joked, poking Will on the nose and avoiding the question, effectively ending the conversation by standing up and stretching out his wings. He had taken to wearing a shimmery magic draped cloth around the shop when Will would join him in the mornings instead of his glamour and human clothing. This meant that he could stretch (or show off, as Will was starting to expect) his impressive wingspan. 

Will took that as a cue to start turning the coffee machines on and getting the shop ready for customers. Like most of their relationship, the coffee shop was both exactly and nothing alike what Will had expected. Yes, it was a coffee shop. It just happened to be a semi-sentient magical coffeeshop, which is _exactly_ what it seems like to most people... before their common sense activates the glamours that protect the human brain from seeing the more magical elements. Will had spent hours letting the shop “warm up to him”, which had been painless as the shop responded well to people that Derek responded well to. 

Will walked over to the wall of percolators. He had started thinking of them as weirder variations of the farm animals that his parents had made him take care of in his younger years. The way “the girls” popped, steamed, and whistled reminded him of his favorite henhouse, and he found himself talking to them accordingly. “You’re looking quite perky this morning, ladies! What a shine you’ve got. Are you ready to do some good work today?” 

This had felt silly, the first ten times he had done it, but Will was finally catching on to the little toots and puffs of steam that was the percolators’ responses. With a little pat, he watched as each light turned green, giving the all clear that ‘the girls’ were ready. Well, _almost_ all of them. The tiniest one on the end who produced espresso was still flashing red and seemed like it was collapsing in on itself. Will walked over and squatted down in front of the counter to get on eye level with the pot. “Hey little fella. Let’s get you ready for the day, yeah?” 

The pot let out a tiny, sad hoot. Will scooped up the little pot with a frown. “We will give you a bath, buff you up, and get your beans ready. You’ll feel better in no time.” 

Will took the little pot over to the sink, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, and washed it off, being sure to really work out the spots on the front. The little percolator seemed to enjoy being handled, and Will took the opportunity to shower it with what felt to him like ridiculous compliments: that his shine was radiant, that espresso was one of the most important and difficult brews, and that the little pot must have so many fans with such an important job. After drying the little machine off, Will turned around to ask Derek where the espresso beans were, when he came nose to nose with the man in question and was swept up in a warm but quick kiss. “That, love, was one of the hottest things I have ever seen.” 

Will snorted, never in his life expecting that he would turn his boyfriend on by taking care of an espresso percolator. “You’re silly. And you’re welcome,” he added with a wink, “Where are the beans for this little guy?” 

Derek carefully took the percolator out of Will’s arms. “I will get them because they’re in with the fairy dust. Do you want to go ahead and set up in your booth? It’s about time for work.” 

Will looked at his watch and cringed. Time seemed to fly by in the mornings. Before he met Derek, he was at work by 6:30 AM and then was the last man out the door in the evening. He said that he did it for the paycheck; Will wanted to live a comfortable life. After holding that idea up to the light of his friends and examining it, Will now believes that he was holding onto coding as a security blanket. He was good at coding. Real life interactions with others were much harder for him. He hadn’t realized how long it had been since he had introduced someone new into his life until his coworkers had pointed it out to him when he introduced them to Derek. 

And Derek was _quite_ the presence in his life. It was to the point that Will had taken his boss’s long-standing offer to work from home. He was on-call as an IT and fix-all guy, but most days he worked from what was becoming “his” booth in Derek’s shop. The rest of his office would sometimes come by on their lunch break to visit or tease him about being there and attached to Derek, but it felt so good and right that he mainly did not care. As Will settled into his booth, he felt more than saw Derek replace his glamour right as the first customers of the day came through the front doors. The fairy lights above danced to alert Derek that they were new faces, so Will waved as he walked by to give them a warm welcome. 

As Derek passed through the branches of the tree that made up the biggest portion of the shop, they grew too small for anyone else to enter into the heart of the shop. Will knew that meant trouble. The tree was never wrong about the character of someone entering in. If they thought that the person meant the shop danger, it would seal off the inner shop completely. If the person intended to harm someone that was in the shop, it would conceal that person from view. The partial opening usually meant that the person had good intentions towards coffee and shop patronage, but was biased towards other’s fundamental rights. Derek had his own ways of navigating the shop in case he needed to exit as soon as possible from a bad situation, but the tree liked to protect everyone else. Once they were gone, Derek came back through the now normal sized doorway. Looking at Will, who was looking at him curiously, Derek just shrugged. “Mormans. Didn’t want to buy anything. Just wanted to tell me about the sin of homosexuality. They missed the magic bit completely and told me that if I did not repent, I would be going to hell. I told them that they could kindly leave before they disturbed my patrons.” 

Will noticed the slight sag in Derek’s shoulders. “Are you alright?” he asked, giving up on doing much of any work that day. At least, not when his boyfriend was looking so down. 

“Do you ever just get tired of being in one spot?” Derek used a counter-question, and Will couldn’t tell if that was an answer to his question or not. 

“I think that’s why people take vacations, you know?” he tried for a teasing helpful tone but he could tell that his concern had bled through. 

Luckily, that response seemed to brighten Derek’s features. “Yes! Exactly. Oh, but where would we go? I can’t be away from the shop for too long, and we know Whiskers would not be happy if left alone for too long…” Derek trailed off, sag returning to his shoulders. He only smiled a little when Will kissed his forehead. 

Will thought for a minute about what they could do. He and Derek had exhausted most of the sights within a few hour radius. It was the middle of the week, so leaving the shop was truly not an option. As far as places that Derek had never been, Will was drawing a blank... until the answer smacked him upside the head. Blushing profusely and unsure of whether Derek’s relatively traditional sensibilities would allow for this, Will blurt out, “We could do a staycation at my house.” 

Derek blinked up at him, confusion in his features. “A what?” 

Will pressed forward having already proposed the idea and wanting to stick to it. “Well, you’ve never actually been further than my front foyer in my house. So, I was thinking of places you had never been and things that you might want to do, and I realized that you could come over to my place and we could do whatever you wanted to relax…” at Derek’s smirk and a quirk of his eyebrow, Will quickly added, “within reason! I have, like, board games and video games, and I think there’s food in the fridge that we could cook together, or we could get takeout, and you would love Whiskers if you spent more time with her since you’re both so cuddly. Well, _maybe_ not since I like cuddling with you, and I don’t want you to pick her over me...” Will stopped rambling as quickly as he realized he was doing it. 

Derek came over, bowing low to grab Will’s hand and kiss it. When he was back at eye level, the gentle smile on his face made the hoard of butterflies that appeared in Will’s stomach take flight. “I would love to come over to your house. How long would you like me to stay?” 

Will bit back the urge to blurt out ‘forever,’ and stilled his shaking hands. “You could stay the night if you wanted to.” The butterflies had moved to his heart as he watched Derek consider the statement. 

Derek finally answered, “I would love that if that is also what you would want. Maybe tomorrow you could come and stay at my place, too.” 

The butterflies Will felt like he was harboring finally settled into a more relaxed rhythm as he nodded in response before realizing that he had not been home for more than sleeping and quick meals in a few days. He started throwing his work stuff in his bag. Derek looked at him in confusion, and Will responded with a sheepish grin. “I’m gonna run home. Wanna make it look nice, you know?” 

Derek stilled his nervous energy with a hand brushing against his cheek. “I know that it will look wonderful. Can I make you a cup to go? And will you write down your address again? I can try to use that _contraption_ ,” he gestured to his pocket where the small cell phone they had picked up for him rested, looking at it as disdainfully as usual, knowing that magic and human technology often did not play well together, “to navigate to your house. If that doesn’t work though, I have other ways to find you. No need to worry.” 

Will was so preoccupied with gathering his stuff and writing down his address that he did not ask what Derek meant by “other ways”, and by the time he had it written down, Derek handed him a steaming cup that said, “To help you find your chill.” Will snorted, knowing that Derek knew he had very little chill to find, then kissed his boyfriend before hustling home. 


	5. A Little Drunk on You and Your Taste

The first five minutes had been a little more awkward than Will had been expecting, but once they had settled into the living room before cooking dinner, things had fallen back into their comfortable fit. Derek had arrived early, but not so early that he had seen Will throwing his cleaning supplies back in the closet from the frenzied re-touching he had done to his living spaces. Everything had been dusty and covered in cat hair with the exception of the kitchen and the bedroom where Whiskers had been banned as a kitten for bad behavior. 

Derek had marvelled at the state of the house, soothing Will’s worries about the small things that he had not gotten to clean yet. Derek had sunk into the plush couch in the living room with a contented sigh and a smile. Will had made a drink and appetizer combination that he had sitting on the coffee table that they both tucked into. Derek paused halfway through, quirking his eyebrow and looking at Will, “Does this have dairy in it?” 

Will nodded, taking another bite and taking in the blush that spread across Derek’s cheeks so prettily. “I forgot to mention what I am now realizing is another faerie _quirk_...” Derek’s smile was goofy. “Dairy affects faeries the same way that alcohol affects humans, except stronger. If it’s in food, drinks, or other products, we get what the kids call ‘lit as fuck’, you know?” 

Will almost spit out his food in his haste to laugh. Derek was constantly using, and Will _assumed_ intentionally misusing, the language that the young people that came into his coffee shop used. 

"I am sure that is not what the kids are saying, but if you insist," Will grinned and continued, "I can make dairy free food if having dairy in it would be an... inconvenience? Or, like, at least save it for special occasions?" 

Derek smiled in turn before he agreed. "That would be chill. I would hate to be intoxicated all the time and miss out on something special with you." 

Will blushed, everyone in the room rosy cheeked for various reasons, and let them enjoy their appetizer in comfortable casual conversation. Once they had both eaten and drank their fill, Will moved them to the kitchen to make a pasta dish without cheese or dairy since Derek seemed a little more clumsy than he usually was. At a certain point, Will lifted him up and sat him on the counter so that he could still chat with him without him being in as much danger of hurting himself or their meal. 

By the time they plated their food, Derek had settled into a nice buzz that Will could read by the slight flush on his features and the fact that his glamour kept fading in and out: one minute it was possible to see his dancing tattoos, the next his skin was clear, but he was in his leisure clothes that he wore in the morning and his wings seemed like a ghostly reflection on his back. Will was thankful that his dining room was large enough to accommodate his wingspan even if they were not fully formed. It seemed to take a weight off of Derek's mind as well after the first time he whipped his head around to stare, obviously used to having the same effect as a bull in a china shop on people’s personal belongings. 

After dinner, they settled back in the living room to play a board game. Pandemic was always fun to lose, and, even with just two players, Derek and Will had a blast. Derek loved pretending that the planes were portals and that he could cure entire cities by magic. Will enjoyed strategizing to make sure that they would not lose. Together, they beat three easier playthroughs before going all out in difficulty and losing spectacularly. 

They both rearranged the pillows and cushions that they had been laying on to play on the floor into an arrangement that would be more conducive to touching. Derek made a small noise that was somewhere between clearing his throat and a squeak, drawing Will's attention to him. Will took in the needy look on his features and his open arms with a blush before burrowing into his boyfriends waiting arms. Will couldn't tell if the noise of contentment had come from himself or Derek, but supposed that it didn't actually matter all that much in the long run. This was a new step and felt like a huge jump from just holding hands or hugging. Will could hear both of their heartbeats as he _was_ living in his body and had his head pressed against Derek's chest. "Are you quite alright?" he asked, suddenly concerned, "Your heart is beating super fast. Like, multiply times faster than it is supposed to." 

Derek paused for a second, Will assumed to check his own heart rate. When he did finally respond, it started with a chuckle. "No, that's how fast my heart normally beats around you. Sounds kind of like a hummingbird, right? That's the way that faerie’s hearts work. Nothing to be concerned about, I promise."

Will relaxed with the reassurance that nothing was wrong until Derek jostled him from where they were laying, all of the sudden in a hurry to get to where he had left his stuff in the foyer. "OH! I almost forgot that I had made you something, and this would be the perfect time to bring it out!" 

Will let his head fall to the cushions, assuming that Derek would be back with whatever he was so excited about momentarily. Will was, of course, right, but had not anticipated that Derek was going to trip and throw the dish he was carrying across the room on his way back in. Luckily, where they were laying was about halfway to the dish's impact zone, so Will just hopped up from where he was laying and snagged it out of the air.

The tray was light although it was made from what looked like hard glass. Inside there were what looked like pastries that had twinkling berries or sprinkles or maybe even just large pieces of glitter strewn across the tops and baked into the middle. The pastry dough was a soft lilac and the filling was in interesting shade of red that settled somewhere between magenta and maroon. Will looked up at where Derek was getting his bearings in the doorway. He seemed weirdly nervous. Will pat his spot on the cushions as an open invitation for Derek to return to his spot; an offer that Derek seemed thrilled to take. Will gently prodded him to speak again.

"These look... tasty? But not like normal pastries?" Will was about to remove the top from the container when Derek gently pulled them out of his hands.

Derek grinned, more sheepish than usual. "You know how the legends say not to eat faerie food? Or drink faerie drinks? Well, they are misleading. It's not so dramatic as you will _never_ be able to eat or drink again. It's just that they are mildly addictive. No more so than some southern foods that are cooked in too much butter or fried potatoes in various oils. I personally think that most humans only find them addictive because they are so foreign to them. I have a friend called Bitty who plays around with food magic, and some of his stuff is actually addicting. But most of it just tastes weird and good. And I figured if you were chill with all of my other faerie stuff, you might as well get desensitized to the cooking, too. You never know, maybe someday you'll need to come to Elphyme to meet the family, or save me from them." 

Will hoped his smile conveyed all of the soft, warm feelings welling up in his chest (although his mood did sour a bit as he hoped Derek was joking about the very last part of the statement). Derek had never mentioned his family before or even put a name on the place he was from, and Will was familiar with messy family situations, so he never pressed the issue. "I would love to meet anyone that is important to you. And I trust you on the foods. I know that you wouldn't mislead me. Do you eat them like normal pastries?" 

Derek's smile changed from sheepish to something more primal and hungry before Will's eyes. "Actually, if it's all the same to you, I think I might prefer to feed it to you. It's more traditional that way..." 

Will knew that Derek could not blatantly lie, and although the innuendo was alluring, he was more interested in how feeding someone could be traditional. "Oh, we are going to be sharing a bed tonight, are we not? In my home, you always take care of your beloved by feeding them by hand before you retire for the evening." Derek's response went straight to Will's dick. The fact that he only had the one bedroom had slipped his mind, so he had been thinking of anything but the fact that he and Derek were finally going to be 'sharing a bed'. Will didn't want to take that the wrong way, didn't want to assume something untoward if Derek only meant that he wanted to sleep, but Will felt the warmth from earlier blossom into a slow burn that fueled what he hoped was not a creeping blush. Judging by the heat and delight he saw reflected in Derek's eyes, the blush must have been extremely telling. 

Will realized in that moment that his jaw was hanging open, and tried to reroute his brain from flustered to flirty. "How do you want me?" he finally managed to get out. It was not quite as suave as he was going for, but the double entendre pleased Derek, and that was all Will could think about when he was trapped under such a sultry gaze.

Instead of responding with words, Derek moved Will so that he was facing him, flipping Will’s legs over his own so that Will was just a breath away from being in his lap. Will swallowed thickly, not trusting himself to come up with words in the moment. Even in innocent situations, Will found himself following Derek's lead, and Derek seemed happy to be leading. This situation was no different; both of them comfortable on a mountain of cushions with exotic food and someone who looked like every one of Will's wet dreams gently picking up a pastry to feed to him feeling more luxurious than Will could have imagined from his own living room.

Will gently bit into the treat as Derek held it to his lips. Will didn't notice the moan that left his throat as he tasted the sweet treat or the lusty response that Derek quickly tamped down on to try to focus on enjoying the moment. The glittering morsels were indeed some type of fruit that tasted like a mix between a kiwi, pineapple, and peach. The lilac dough tasted buttery, but just doughy enough that it balanced the sweet and tart flavors of the fruit. It had a texture that melted in your mouth like a croissant, but was tough enough to give a consistent bite like a homemade pie crust. "What was that?" Will asked, his breathy tone making Derek feel like squirming to relieve some pressure from his stupidly restrictive human clothes.

"They are called lilac lovelies. I made some this morning with some magenta berries I had left lying around. It was hard to get my mill to make the lilac into a usable dough, but after a stern talking to, it came around. You like them?" Derek held up the pastry for Will to take another bite. 

Will nodded at the same time that Derek moved the lovely to his lips, smearing some of the filling on the side of his mouth. Before thinking about it, Derek ran his thumb across Will's bottom lip to get the offending filling off. Will winked, then caught Derek's wrist in one hand, moving it to where he could obscenely lick the filling off of Derek's thumb. Derek wasn't sure if it was one or both of them who moaned when Will sucked the tip of his thumb into his mouth to make sure that his thumb was clean.

"You're quite... thorough," Derek heard his voice dip lower and saw Will dip his chin to continue to fail to hide his blush. After a beat of tension, Will giggled, causing Derek to begin to chuckle as well. 

"I feel like the teenagers that go into the corners of your shop to sneak little moments together," Will said, turning Derek's hand to kiss his palm since the pastry was gone. Derek returned the favor with a series of quick, mini kisses to Will's knuckles. 

"We have much more chemistry than most of those young ones, don't you think?" Derek jokingly questioned Will, and Will quickly agreed. 

"We could have even more chemistry than they do if you'd keep feeding me those lilac things," he teased in response.

"Only if you continue to clean up after yourself," Derek winked and leaned in to kiss Will's nose while he grabbed another treat from the plate. Eventually, Will convinced Derek to let him feed him one or two of the treats as well. Before the lovelies were all gone, the sultry play had turned silly. Will wasn't sure if Derek had intentionally gotten the pastry on his face again, but he retaliated by smearing a streak of fruit filling down Derek's nose. That had turned into an all out pastry war, dough crumbling and filling flying everywhere. Collapsing in a messy, laughing heap, they eventually called a draw when Whiskers darted through the living room, only narrowly avoiding a flying berry. 

"Well this is going to be fun to clean," Will joked dryly, helping Derek to his feet. Derek smirked, and Will felt Derek's magic roar to life around him. Had it not been for Derek's grip around his midsection, Will's knees might not have been enough to keep him on his feet. He would have to continue to work on exposing himself to Derek's magic, he thought to himself before looking around to see what Derek had been up to. 

His jaw dropped open when he saw his immaculate living room. It was even cleaner than he had gotten it earlier; no sign other than the now empty glass dish sitting tastefully on the table as a sign that they had even really been in the room. 

"I could get used to not having to clean," Will joked with a smile. 

Derek's grin was sinful as he purred, "Magic has it's perks, but I would hate for you to get too spoiled. I believe you were showing me the way to our quarters?" 

If Will had any other thought on his mind, it chose that moment to leave with little hope of returning as bigger, more exciting thoughts of all the possibilities of the night took it's place. Through the lusty haze, the sensible side of Will's brain fought back control. It was inconvenient that this happened halfway up the stairs, but Will didn't stop to consider his surroundings until Derek ran into him from behind with a slight, "oomph."

"Before we get any further," he started turning so that he could make earnest eye contact with Derek, "I just want to go over the game plan: what is going to be on the table, and what you'd rather not do tonight. I'm personally up for whatever you want to do, but I don't want to make any assumptions that might offend you or make you think that I want to rush things that you'd rather savor or wait for..." 

Derek was giving him such a fond look that it was hard to continue, but Will persisted, managing to finish with, "All I want is to make you happy and comfortable: whatever we need to do for those to happen."

Derek caressed his collarbone first, trailing his fingers up the column of Will's neck not long after. "I know, love. I can feel the truth radiating out of you. Let's keep it slow tonight. I want to know every inch of you, but I want to know it like the back of my own hand. I want to find places on you that maybe you haven't even found yourself. I'll take my time until I can do that. And then, I promise, we can live into those fantasies that I can see in your eyes."

Will was firmly back to being distracted by all the blood rushing to his erection, but caught onto Derek's last words with interested caution. "Wait, please tell me that you can't read my mind? While I can see where that could be really convenient, I would honestly be mortified to know that you knew how much time I spent internally screaming about how gorgeous you look all the time."

Derek barked a laugh that he had apparently not been expecting. Will had to grab his arm as he flailed, caught off balance by the laughter and practically tumbling down the stairs. "Oh, Maeve, no. I mean, we can connect to where I would have access to your thoughts. But only after you were already comfortable enough for your brain to let mine connect, and even then you would feel it and have the option to not let me access those thoughts. I can think of some interesting applications for it though, once you got more used to experiencing the shift from the mundane or inert to magical." 

Even the silly wiggle of his eyebrows was not enough to lessen the mood that Will had picked up on. Will practically drug them up the last few steps and into his bedroom. He had Derek backed against the door, kissing him insistently so quickly that he felt a little dizzy from it. Derek chuckled around the kiss, managing to wrestle back control and slow it down until he pulled away from Will and flipped their positions. At Will's soft whimper, he whispered a shushing motion into his ear on his way to leave little kisses and marks down Will’s throat until it met the collar of his rucked up shirt. "Chill, babe, remember? We have all the time in the world. Slow and steady." 

Will gently repeated the words back to Derek who proceeded to kiss and nibble his way back up the other side of Will's neck until he could kiss Will fully on the lips again. Will could feel the fire burning in his gut at a low simmer. It was easy to drift on the lusty feelings, enjoying the ways Derek explored his body with his hands and the excitement of returning the favor. The leisurely pace and focus on just touching was erotic in its own way. Will couldn't remember the last time he and a partner weren't too focused on getting to penetration or orgasm to focus on just feeling each other. Derek paused his touches at the hem of Will's shirt, the unasked question of removing it or not plain on his face. Will nodded, and pulled it off himself just to try to confirm without a doubt to Derek that he wanted skin to skin contact very badly. Derek looked him up and down, heat from his gaze adding to the feelings swimming in the room. "Would you want to remove your slacks too? I wouldn't mind getting down to just our skivvies for the night if that would feel good to you, too?" 

Will nodded again and hustled out of his clothes. He was halfway out of his pants when he felt Derek do something magical, and when he looked up, he saw him sitting on the bed in his boxers, otherwise naked and with the majority of his glamour down. The only thing missing was his wings. "They would just be in the way for right now, I think," he explained before Will could ask the question. 

He spread out on Will's bed, looking like he owned it, like it was his own bed, regal and kingly and magical and deadly. To say that Will swooned would be an understatement. He was looking Will over as much as Will was doing the same to him. His wolfish smile made Will shudder, but his haste to accept Derek's invitation on to his lap could not be mistaken as anything other than eager. 

Before long, Will found himself straddling Derek's hips facing him. While this gave anyone that could have seen them the illusion that Will was in control, Derek's grip guiding Will's hips to grind against his own said otherwise. Will could feel when Derek asked for access to his emotions, and had opened up his mind to him, but he hadn't realized that it was going to be a two way street. Will almost came involuntarily under the weight of feeling both of their arousal at the same time, but had managed to hold it together and keep himself in check. He found that it was more than worth it as Derek took over more and used what he was feeling from Will to elevate the touching and grinding past any experience with either motion than Will had up to that point. 

He was enjoying it so much actually that he didn't realize how close Derek had gotten to having an orgasm until he had manhandled Will still, panting out, "Wait, shit, too close." Will bit his lip, moaning at the loss of contact after feeling so close and overwhelmed for so long. Derek chuckled darkly, "Aww. Did you want something William?" 

Will knew that Derek knew what he wanted as it was Derek that still had hold of his hips, keeping him from getting it. Derek kissed his nose then with more strength and grace than Will expected, hefted him off his lap and tucked him tight in his arms beside him. "We agreed on the terms for the night before we even got in bed. Besides, it is getting late."

Will shot a glance to the clock beside his bed. "What the fuck?" he exclaimed when he saw that it was already the early hours of the morning. There was no way that they had been grinding for multiple hours. Will flipped so that he could make eye contact with Derek in the bed. Poking a finger into his chest, he huffily pouted, "Explain."

Derek ran his hands down Will's back, and Will could feel the calming feelings that Derek was offering him. He had not realized that they were still mentally connected, but decided to go ahead and accept the feelings and enjoy the cuddles instead of falling into a panic. Derek continued the comforting gestures as he explained. "Magic in this realm works weird."

Will waited, expecting him to go on and finish his explanation. When the silence had become unbearable, and Will's patience started to thin, he snorted and mumbled, "WOW. Eloquent." 

Derek rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, well, it's the truth. I don't pretend to understand everything about magic. Before I met you, I thought that mundanes couldn't soul bond with magical beings, but here we are, very much emotionally connecting. So without lying to you, I can only say that magic is weird here and does strange and wonderful things." 

The feeling of Will rubbing his back and the emotions they were sharing soothed away Will's desire to ask more questions. Will remembered earlier that night how Derek was telling them they had plenty of time. He knew that he was right. Questions could wait. Sex could wait. Hell, even orgasms could wait a little longer if it meant he could feel this content with Derek in bed.

Will tentatively reached out to check how Derek was feeling. There was underlying heat that Will could identify as leftover and a continuation of Will's trust in him taking the lead. There was a confused delight that Will could experience this with him. Mostly, though, there was contentment. Will could tell that it had been a long time, possibly longer than Will had been alive, since Derek had been this close to anyone and felt this safe. Will reached a feeling that was obscure, and looked a little messy. He was startled away from it by Derek's sleepy voice. "Best not to touch that one tonight, love. Some other time." 

Will blushed as he remembered that Derek could tell what he was sensing and looking at through their link. Derek pulled him in close, his warmth assuring Will that there was nothing to be embarrassed about as they both drifted off to sleep. 


	6. You Make Me Happy When Skies Are Grey; Please Don’t Take My Sunshine Away

When Will woke up the next morning, he was surprised to feel how much space he had to move around the bed. He could feel Derek still around through what Derek had mentioned was a soul bond, although he realized he wasn't sure how far their emotional bond could stretch or if it was even possible to turn off and on, so there was no guarantee there that the bond could inform whether Derek was still around the house.

Will padded out of the bedroom, greeting Whiskers on his way down the stairs and filling the cat bowl up with food before searching the kitchen and living room for signs of Derek. He noticed as he moved down the stairs that the bond seemed to stretch. He inferred that this meant he was getting further away from wherever Derek was and retraced his steps back to the bedroom.

The bedsheets were ruffled, but not enough to hide someone the size of his boyfriend. He flopped down on the bed to think about what all that meant when he felt a lump move and cry out. Jumping back up, Will was halfway through a sincere apology to Whiskers who he thought couldn't have made it back up the stairs that fast when his eyes caught up to his brain. There, unburrowing himself from the covers was Derek, or at least a pocket sized version of him. Glamour fully dismantled, Will looked at Derek: he was around 10 inches from head to toe, his wings giving him another two inches of height on top of that. His tattoos glowed so brightly, he looked almost as though he was made of gold. Will felt as if he could finally buy into the tales of old and briefly thought that he was dreaming before he felt Derek realize his own appearance and, in less than a blink of an eye, revert back to his normal height, blushing and cursing, embarrassment radiating from him in waves. 

Will smiled and waited for Derek to fully wake up and calm down. It only took him a moment to regain his famous "chill", and he leaned into the good morning kiss that Will offered when he stood up. 

"Want some breakfast?" Will asked, trying to make the segue into a normal morning and giving Derek the space he needed to feel comfortable talking about fairy quirks. 

Derek seemed to appreciate the leeway in not having to answer questions before they had even had any coffee as he followed Will down the stairs. It was only once the coffee had brewed that Derek let out a groan and started looking around grumpily. "Did you see where I sat my bag?" he asked after making a lap of the downstairs. 

Will glanced around the kitchen after pulling out two mugs to pour their coffee into. "I don't see it in here. When I was looking for you this morning, I don't remember seeing it either.” 

He heard Derek walk into the kitchen as he turned back to the pot. Without turning back around, he could sense something was distressing him. "We are going to have to go to the shop asap then. I need to take a booster or I won't be able to retain my glamour much longer." 

Will put the mugs back into the cabinet, opting for to go cups instead. "What is a booster?" he asked in an effort to get Derek talking instead of pacing and panicking like he was doing at that moment. 

"Faeries are not meant to leave Elphyme for long periods of time. Our magic gets weaker the longer we are away. We have to recharge, almost like your electronics. I can only be gone for so long because... well... we can just leave it as I am more powerful than average faeries. I have my limits though. Boosters are a drug that helps you siphon and amplify your magic over longer periods of time, like the battery saver function on your phone. They are illegal, because if candidates for royalty used them, coronations could get messy. Most faeries use them for travel purposes. When I fled, I made sure that I had enough to stay here as long as I possibly could," Derek explained as his form oscillated between his human appearance and his faerie form. 

"What happens if your run out?" Will asked, worry evident in his posture and features. Derek's grin was grim, not helping the pit that was forming in Will's stomach. 

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, hmm?" Derek leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Shall we?" 

Will was about to protest that they were still in their boxers when he looked down and noticed that their clothes were now on them. While he didn't understand magic yet, he did know that Derek should not be using it for something that they could do on their own when he was in such an apparently depleted state. He scolded him for as much while they were on their way out the door. Derek rolled his eyes and asked for Will to lead, as he had used a portal to find Will's apartment the night before, and he knew that Will was intimately familiar with the route to his shop.

As they rounded the corner to Derek's shop, Will scrunched his nose in disgust. "What is that smell?"

Derek frowned, breathing in the scent deeply instead of covering his nose like Derek expected. "Fucking... son of a queen, I told them that I would be back today..."

As he stormed off in the direction of the shop, all Will could do was race to keep up. When they reached the door, the smell increased momentarily before going away completely when Derek placed his hand against the door. "Sorry," he apologized as they entered into the main door, "Sometimes the shop gets moody if I am gone for too long. The smell was them pouting. No one is going to want to come see you if you're so smelly so you're really only self-sabotaging! What are you going to do if I get taken back? Hmm?" 

Will watched as the twinkling lights above winked in and out as if communicating with Derek. At the idea of him getting 'taken back' the tree in the center bent its branches down towards Derek as if to embrace him with a cacophony of groaning from the wood bending in ways that it is not used to. Will found himself swept up in the embrace, too. "Um..." he got out eloquently before Derek started talking again.

"Will has other things to do than come check in on you; although, you're right that I should teach him how to get in just in case. If you'd be so kind as to set us down, I need to get my booster dust, or else they will find me sooner than any of us are ready for." The tree sat them both down in the back corner of the shop. There was no seating back here, and Will had always just assumed that it was a space for storage in an otherwise busy and cozy shop.

As he looked closer at the trunk near where they had been seated, he noticed an arrow no bigger than a half dollar coin pointing upwards. Following the mark with his eyes, Will noticed what looked like a rather large, luxury dollhouse tucked into the branches high up in the tree. The little Victorian-treehouse hybrid could not have been more than 4 feet tall and looked like it had around three floors from top to bottom. When he turned back around to ask Derek what the house was, he realized that Derek was back in his small state and flying up to the front door of the house. When he tried to speak, his voice came out like a tinkle of bells instead of his normal dulcet tones. Will shrugged his shoulders to show that he hadn't understood. Derek gave him a panicked look before having a sudden realization and Will heard his intentions in his head. "Just going to pop inside to get your gift, then I will be back out."

Will gave him a mental thumbs up and crouched down in the roots of the tree to watch as Derek entered the small house. His wings had carried him so gracefully up to the porch of the house and then folded away so that he could fit into the intricately carved front doors. Lights danced inside as he moved from room to room, up and down the floors of the house. It was not long before he emerged, arms full of tiny packages. From his porch, he waved Will closer. With only a partial warning via their link to say, "heads up," he started tossing the packages down to Will. 

As they fell, they expanded from their tiny size into full sized packages, and Will wished with all his heart that he had been keeping up with any of his athletic training from college so that the experience would have been less terrifying overall. With only one small scare where he almost dropped the jar of powdery grey dust onto the floor, Will successfully caught everything that Derek tossed down. 

On directions from Derek, Will took all the packages back around the tree to the counter where Derek mixed his drinks. While waiting for Derek to appear, Will did his normal routine of getting the percolators on and ready. The tiny one chirped with appreciation as Will patted it's lid and moved to where the watering can sat. He had seen Derek water the plants around the shop before and decided to give it a try. 

Picking up the unusually heavy can, he walked over to the first plant with a beautiful red and pink bloom. "Bottoms up, sweet one," he whispered to it, making sure that the soil was evenly moist before moving down the line from plant to plant until he reached a tube like green and white plant on the end of the row. He watered the soil just like he had the last few plants, complimenting it's leaves and new growths, when he found himself covered in the water he had just put in the soil. He sputtered, stepping back and flailing to try to get the drips of water off of himself. If he didn't know any better, and at this point he _didn't_ know any better, he could have sworn the whole row of plants was chuckling at his misfortune. 

Derek materialized out of seemingly thin air to scold them, "Yes, yes, very funny. Playing a mean trick on the one who is taking care of you just because he doesn't know any better. What would you do if I was gone, and he was the only one who knew how to care for you? And you just drenched him? You should be ashamed." 

The plant bowed in Will's direction. Will felt a little guilty for getting it in trouble, so he just stroked it's petals kindly. "Hey, it's alright. No need to be sad. I wouldn't mind still watering you. Let's just try not to get me in the face in the future, right?"

"You're a soft-touch love. Don't let the enchanted garden take advantage of you like that," Derek said with a smile. Will noticed that he was back to full height and in his human form down to his immaculate, if hipster-dated dress. Derek reached for his hand, and Will felt his clothing warm up as the water evaporated. He marveled at how localized the magic would have to be to evaporate the water so quickly without burning his skin or clothing.

Once he was dry, Derek pulled him over to the counter. "I would like to formally invite you into my home tonight. I charmed Whisker's bowl before we left so that it would refill when she needed to be fed, and you will not need a change of clothes. If you are interested, I wanted to get you settled before I opened up the shop today." 

Will nodded. As long as Whiskers was going to be alright, he was totally fine staying over. Only one problem came to his mind... "I think I'm a little big to fit in there, hun." 

Derek rolled his eyes. "You wound me. Like I hadn't thought of every possible reason that this wouldn't work the very first day you came into my shop. I've been busy since you have shown me that you're not afraid to give it a go. Come along, I have some gifts for you." 

Once they were seated back at the main bar, Will looked at the presents in front of him. The first was the small jar of glittery powder that he had almost dropped earlier. Derek followed his eyes and explained, "That's the booster. It amplifies innate magic and can help mask strong magic as something different. This is helpful if you need to use glamours to run a coffee shop or escape to another world for awhile. You can use it to shrink so that you can get into my house. I'm pretty sure that it will boost the small amounts of magic I can feel coming from you into a full, workable magic."

"You can sense magic coming from me?" Will asked, shock evident on his features.

Derek nodded, explaining further, "You've seen through most of the glamours I put up in the shop. You only fainted a bit when you experienced magic for the first time, and you can soul bond with me over longer distances than any human should. While usually I am better at picking up on magic, there's not any other options for me to believe than you possess some form of latent magic. Regardless, this will give you the ability to shrink. Think ‘Alice in Wonderland’; how she managed to get through that doorknob." 

"I thought that I read that Alice in Wonderland was actually a mathematics metaphor and not a fairy tale," Will knew that it was really no time to be arguing fairy tales with a faerie, but sometimes he couldn't help his curiosity. 

"Stories are redefined by their readers as much as they were originally defined by their writers. Besides, there are definitely some similarities between magic and math. As someone who is into coding, you would love the Magic Management and Regulations department in Elphyme."

Will acknowledged that with a small hum while picking up one of the larger boxes that Derek had thrown down. At first he couldn't identify what he was looking at. The material of the gift was silky smooth and slipped between his fingers causing the colors to shimmer at his touch. Although the dancing colors were in greens and golds, he could have sworn he had seen them or something like them before. Derek encouraged him to pull the gift fully out of the box, and that it would then make more sense when he did. Will did, and he gasped as he realized that Derek was right. "Are these..." Will couldn't finish the question before Derek was rushing in with an answer. 

"You can change the colors once you have had the opportunity to bond with them, but when I was weaving them, I thought about you, and what colors were my favorite on you, and this is how they turned out. That's just the bottom pair, the other box has the tops that go with them. I couldn't think of a practical way to get you into my home and I knew that someday you would probably want to see it..." Derek was rambling to cover up his nervousness in waiting for Will to respond.

Will couldn't figure out how to respond with words so he just let his positive feelings radiate through their thoughts. "You made these yourself?" he finally got out when his brain kept up with his eyes. "How do you even weave wings?" 

"With good thoughts and intentions," Derek said, seemingly serious. Will decided to let it go until Derek continued, "No, seriously. Peter Pan was a _little_ right when he said 'faith, trust, and pixie dust'. It would have been impossible to make you these wings without the immense amount of good feelings between us. I trust you to be able to be in my home, in my life, for as long as you choose to be. So I made these for you."

"Will you help me put them on?" Will asked, not sure about where you would even begin. When he made eye contact, Derek was beaming and looked a little like he was close to tears. 

"You'll have to get naked. Would you mind if I helped you slip into something more comfortable?" Derek asked, switching from heartfelt to horndog within a moment. The eyebrow motion made Will roll his eyes, but he still agreed. He barely felt the rush of magic this time as he felt his clothes change into something softer and more revealing. As he looked down, he realized he was wearing one of the light draped tunics that Derek normally wore when he was showing off his wings. 

"Will this hurt?" Will asked gently. He had never had wings before and couldn't imagine that they were going to play particularly well with his anatomy.

Derek ran his hand down Will's spine to his tailbone, frowning before covering it up quickly with a smile. "This won't hurt at all actually. Has any doctor ever told you that you have extra vertebrae and your hips are unusually wide for your gender?"

Will blushed hard, and sputtered, "I had an injury as a child that messed with my back and then played hockey for 10 years so excuse my back for being the way it is. And NO I have not heard that my hips are too wide, thank you kindly..."

Derek leaned back, smirking before soothing Will's ego. "Sorry, love. Both of those statements are medical facts, and are actually common among faeries that have grown their own wings, but I mainly wanted to distract you while I fastened yours on. Give them a go, yeah?"

Will looked down and behind him, noticing as Derek pointed it out that he did in fact have the bottom half of a pair of wings seemingly attached to him. With only a thought and a little attention, they fluttered to life before Will's eyes. Derek clapped his hands, elation and excitement evident on his face. "You're a natural! Let me get the tops attached, too."

While Derek busied himself with securing the top of the wing in place, Will tried to identify any differences that he felt now that he had wings. They weren't heavy like he expected them to be, but they also didn't transfer feeling the way that Derek's had when Will had been given the opportunity to touch them. Derek startled Will out of his thoughts, breath hot on his ear as he whispered, "Don't worry. They just haven't had time to bond with you yet. The feeling will come."

Will swallowed whatever undignified noise was about to come out of his mouth and, forgetting about their mind link, wondered how Derek managed to hide any type of erection under such thin fabric. Derek kissed his nose and thankfully let the topic drop. "Let's get some boosters into you so that you can get topside before my regulars start to show up, yeah?" 

Will nodded and followed Derek's form as he headed around the bar. He mixed him a cocktail of powders and liquids that were unfamiliar to Will, pulling at least a fourth of a cup from the sparkling grey powder. The end concoction looked like the unicorn frappichino that his boss had used to make him bring to the office when he was just a temp. Derek pushed it across the bar with a smile. "Bottoms up!"

Will cautiously picked up the glass, holding it at eye level before lowering it and trying to waft some scents to his nose. "What is in here?" he finally asked Derek, curiosity getting the best of him. 

"Faith, trust, etc. Just imagine the thing that makes you the most happy, and drink it down fast," he responded cryptically.

Will threw caution to the wind and tipped the glass vertically, drinking as fast as he could. The texture was that of a smoothie, but the flavor was all over the place. A neutral flavor had bloomed into something that reminded him of playing on his grandparents farm as a child then shifted to the flavor of the soup his sister made him anytime he was ill. It changed to drinks he had at his first kegster and finally settled on the flavor of the lilac lovelies from the night before, or at least the flavor of Derek's kisses after eating them. By the time he had finished the flavor-induced nostalgia trip, he realized that he was only as high as the first rung on the bar stool that stood beside where he and Derek had been standing. The ground around him rumbled, tossing him about in a disorienting way before suddenly he was being lifted by the tie on his garment to rest on the pad of Derek's palm. Derek's voice boomed around him and seemed to be slower than its normal cadence. 

"You're... gonna... have... to... fly... up... on... your... own..." His voice rang all around Will. Will remembered how small Derek's voice had sounded to him when he tried to talk in faerie form and just opted for a mental thumbs up instead. His launch from Derek's palm was jerky at best, but being in the air was exhilarating. His heart beat faster than it normally would, but he was used to feeling Derek's heart beat at that rhythm and pushed it to the back of his mind. Before long, he was up at eye level with Derek's front porch. When he had been full size, the porch had looked small. Now that he was the correct height, he could appreciate how palatial the structure actually was. 

The front doors were set wider and taller than doors that Will was used to seeing in a house. He tried only going through one, and realized that was a stretch with the new girth of his wings behind him. They protested as he squeezed through, solidifying the idea that he needed to be more careful and considerate of them in the future. 

Once Will had squeezed through the door, he couldn't keep his eyes in any one spot in the house: there was so much for him to take in. Instead of stairs, there was a hole that seemed to lead to the top floors of the house that he could fly into. The bottom of the house was a relatively open floor plan due to the wide pocket doors that divided each room instead of traditional walls. Each wall had recessed shelving that contained more old, rolled scrolls, knickknacks, teapots, and painted and printed photographs than Will could count. The living room was filled with plump furniture with skinny backs that faced inwards towards the center of the room where there were coffee tables covered in more books and things to look at. Will thought the seating looked a little odd until he realized that wings probably did not play nicely with chair backs. He sat on the couch, sliding his legs into the holes that looked appropriately spaced and sighed as he sank into the cushions. He hadn't ever felt such a plush couch before, and this felt like heaven. He stood awkwardly, tucking that couch into his mind so that later he could bring some reading materials back to sit and study. 

While wandering through the bottom floor, he couldn't believe how many things Derek owned. The books were so old that most of them were in languages that Will had only seen in textbooks and many were printed on scrolls that looked as if they would crumble at even the gentlest breath. There were maps and globes and trinkets from all over the world: a tiny cross from a Celtic island, a replica of the pyramids under glass, a photo of Derek in frankly ridiculous expedition gear sitting on a camel in a desert, and another old photograph showing Derek in an old Goofy hat and shirt in front of the gates to the Magic Kingdom at Disneyland that looked like it had been signed by Walt.

It was like living in a time capsule: Derek looked no different in those photos than he did in the ones he found next to them: Derek and Will with goofy smiles and costumes from the boardwalk photo booth, Derek relaxing on the beach with the sun in his face (Will had been especially proud of that photo), and a picture of Will bent over his laptop tucked away into their little cubby in the shop. Will took only a moment to reminisce before he decided that he wasn't all that interested in the dining room or kitchen, instead opting to take off again and explore the upper levels of the house. 

The next floor had a small library and desks scattered about. Each desk had books on a different topic: 21st century slang and culture, the civil rights movement, poetry and art for the last two centuries, a desk that had every fairy tale Will had ever heard and then some sitting beside scrolls of handwritten timelines that looked as if they were comparing the faerie account to that of the humans versions, and, finally, a desk that was absolutely bare except for a picture of Will and Derek and the first plug in that Will had seen in the whole house so far. Will made a mental note to ask Derek about that desk later. This floor also contained what looked to be two bedroom suites and a community sized bathroom. 

Will found the next hole in the ceiling and flew up to the final floor. This floor seemed simpler but no less elegant. There was a bathroom and bedroom off of the main room that Will had came into. The centerpiece of the room was also what looked like a smaller version of the trunk of the tree that the house was built into. At the base of the tree was a full length, ornately carved mirror. Will walked up to it to look at his reflection, but quickly fell back when the mirror rippled at his touch. He decided he would wait and ask Derek about it when he arrived back home. 

Turning around to the rest of the room, Will took the chance to sit on Derek's bed and luxuriate in the fabric. From where he was draped on the comforter, Will could see more books piled into hidden cubbies all around the room. While he was reluctant to get back up, he was curious what kinds of works Derek kept so close to his bed. Some of the books were not surprising: original copies of obscure poetry, well loved novels in languages Will couldn't recognize, and sketchbooks. The next shelf felt no less used but still more intimate to Will. When he pulled out the leather bound tome, he was surprised to see it filled with sketches again. This time, the sketches and poetry were dated in a familiar handwriting. 

"Some would consider it rude to go through others photo albums without explicit permission," A familiar voice teased from behind him.

Will spun around, blush spreading from his ears down his cheeks as he met Derek's eyes. "Sorry, I didn't realize they were private."

"That's alright," Derek's soft smile was tainted with a deep melancholy, "No one from that book is alive to protest. Just me."

Will waited for Derek to explain. His eyes followed Derek's movements as he moved to the same shelf and pulled off more of the leather bound books. Sitting down on the bed, he gestured for Will to join him. "Before there were cameras, there was more of a focus on capturing images and likenesses through poetry and sketches. If you wanted to be able to remember certain moments, you had to write them down. And I, having a longer lifespan than most, knew even as a young one that I was going to want to keep certain memories. So I learned how to draw and write. The book you were looking through were some of my dear memories of Jack and Rose. They were just common folk in a tiny village in England. Madly in love with one another, but Rose was higher class than Jack. Her dad wouldn't allow them to marry. This," Derek flipped to a beautifully rendered page where a man and woman stood under an arch of flowers in the middle of a forest, "Was where they got married with no one but me as a witness. This," he flipped to another page where the man was fighting off what looked like armed guards, "was when we had to rescue Rose from an arranged marriage to an evil duke. When they both died, I had to take a long break from the mortal world." 

Derek opened the next book. It had more sketches, although they looked more modern than the previous book. Will flipped through the book, enjoying Derek's voice as he told Will about all the adventures he had been on with Diane and Dicky in that book. After awhile, Derek pulled out another book. This one was filled with black and white, sepia toned, and hazy colored photos, reflecting the passage of time and the advancement of technology. There were more friends, Steve and Peter and Veronica and Jude and Judy. Each new story brought a light to Derek's face that would slowly eclipse into sadness as he relived the losses he had felt. "And now here we are," he finished with a flourish, pulling out the final album. In it, he had printed pictures of his adventures and selfies with Will and Will's friends, noting the date, time, and a short description of what was going on. 

"What about your faerie friends?" Will finally asked, sidestepping the creeping dread that the mortal passage of time was causing him.

Derek's face hardened. "I had a hard time making faerie friends really. I have two, Chowder and Bitty, but I haven't spoken to them in person since the last time I left. We write, and I have told them a little about you, but it’s hard when they have to be in Elphyme when I am here." 

"Can I ask some follow up questions? I can tell that you're not feeling great about this conversation, so we can drop it. I just feel like there's still so much that I don't know about you that I would love to find out," Will said, relaxing as Derek pulled them into the bed together. He stroked Will's wings, the sad smile returning to his features. Will shuddered a little under the gentle touches. He had a new perspective now on why Derek liked his wings to be stroked so much as the feeling started to trickle in.

"They'll actually get more sensitive the longer you wear them. They will connect with the nerves in your spine… Not in a way that is painful! I wouldn't ever intentionally hurt you like that," he flustered until Will calmed him down and reassured him that he trusted him. "You can ask questions. Just keep in mind that I can't lie. If things come out harshly, know that I don’t intend them to." 

"We can start with an easy one, then. Are their names actually Chowder and Bitty?"

"Well, no. That would be silly to go giving away their names willy nilly. As I've said, names have power; words have power. Moreso in Elphyme than here, but they have that power nonetheless. I call them Chowder and Bitty out of respect to their trust in me," he explained.

"What should I call you if I ever visit? I know that you wouldn't want to go by Derek…" Will trailed off.

Derek smirked, "Well, you could call me handsome, sexy, or my love. Most people just call me Nursey. What would you like to be called?"

The names were so reminiscent of his time playing hockey in undergrad that he did not hesitate for a moment in his answer. "You could call me Dex if you wanted something that wasn't a petname." Derek nodded, content with that answer and Will continued his questions, "You mentioned that you were running from something in Elphyme, and that's why you've ended up here. What is so bad there that you'd risk using the boosters and living on the run?"

Will let the silence stretch out as Derek thought through his answer. You could almost hear the gears turning and steam pouring out from his ears until he finally responded, "There was a dearly beloved Queen and King. Their rule was fair and just, and the faeries of the winter courts loved them so. This is not always the case: there have been evil, power hungry rulers on both sides of the court. Because of the prosperity of the winter court, faeries started to leave the summer court to join with the winter court. This created the smaller fall and spring courts. Eventually, the summer court risked losing too many faeries. To keep this from happening, they sent the Summer Queen to kill off the Winter Queen and take her place.”

”The King and knights and princess of the winter court fought valiantly, but the Queen fell, and the summer Queen became the new Queen of winter. The old Queen was my mother. The first time I came to the mortal world, it was to hide until my father, the King, could sort out whether the new Queen wanted to kill our whole family or just rule the court. When it was safe, I was called home.”

“This new queen had a daughter who stepped in to become the new princess when the old winter princess ran away to fill the void in the summer court. Instead of following the code and becoming the new princesses knight, the winter knight decided that he would follow his princess to the summer court, and the Queen insisted that there was no summer knight to take his place. As soon as I returned, I was informed that I was the princesses new knight. I protested: I had no desire to be a knight and knights usually ended up becoming Kings if their princess became the next Queen. I had no desire to rule with a woman: I had no desire to rule at all. This enraged the new Queen who promptly banished me from the winter court.”

”For awhile, I lived with the fall court. It was peaceful; their court was not as large and was ruled by a smaller faction with less power, leaving me to do as I pleased. In those days, I moved back and forth between Elphyme and the mortal realm and befriended the gate keepers, Bitty and Chowder. This turned out to be for the best when I had to flee. After years of what I had thought was escape, the Queen came looking for me. I have no idea what she wanted; I didn't stay long enough to find out. I think that maybe my father finally broke down and told her how powerful I was supposed to become, but I can't be sure. I have been here ever since."

"Why would she care how powerful you are?" Will asked, entranced by the story. 

"My father was the strongest Knight and King the winter court had ever seen. He knew rune-work and had it tattooed on him to bolster his weaknesses and make him stronger. My mother, the Queen, was a seer and an empath. She could sense others emotions and could see what they wanted and needed to hear or do. She also had charmspeak abilities. Altogether, they were a dangerous power couple. And I was a genetic power-bomb. I could have had any combination of their powers. Instead, I have all of them. It makes being a barista much easier. I can see what people need, and give them little snippets of it in their drinks or our conversations." 

"I'm still not sure I understand. Why does the Queen want to help the princess so badly if the princess might overthrow her? And why would they want you to be in the court if you want nothing to do with them?" Will could feel Derek blush, which deepened his confusion. 

"Well, the princess is the new Queen's actual daughter. The princess is a powerful warrior, and they think that my family has really strong genetic compatibility. Because I was born with both my parents powers, they would like to produce even more powerful offspring…"

"Oh," Will blushed, finally getting it, "They want you to have a baby with her."

"Not just a baby," Derek cringed, "Multiple babies. Faeries have stronger pack bond senses than humans. It has something to do with the way we process loyalty. So, if a family wanted to be on the throne for quite some time, the best way to do that would be to appeal to the court’s sense of community. If they have a large family, the court is less likely to want new rulers because they are more loyal to the current ruling body. Most of the time, they will get to watch them grow up into older faeries that will inherit the throne just on nostalgia and connection. So, if the Queen could use my father's offspring to connect to her offspring and start a new family, they would have a better chance of keeping the throne," Derek finished, looking a little distressed at having even said the words that came out of his mouth.

"Well, that's certainly something," Will stated to fill the silence. "Can I ask another question?"

"Of course; those weren't too terrible," Derek responded thoughtfully.

"Are you in danger now? How long are you going to have to hide?" Will couldn't mask the concern in his voice, and he didn't want to regardless. "What if they come and find you here? What then?" 

Derek pulled Will just a fraction closer. "I have a secret door to Elphyme. That mirror over there leads to the Crossroads between the court territories where Bitty and Chowder work. If something goes wrong, they will come in and hide my house here until I can get away. There are also bells hidden all around the coffee shop and in here that will ring if I am in danger. So we would both know if anything bananas was happening." 

"What do I do if you go missing? What if you're just not here someday?" Will could feel the panic rising in him, boiling up and out in his words, "Who would run the shop? How would I talk to you? I love you, and I just got to know the full you! They can't just…" 

"Shhh," Derek soothed. Will felt their bond flare to life. It felt stronger than when they were in the coffee shop. Will wondered if it had to do with the more magical environment. "I love you, too, you know. We will take it one day at a time. We can't control the future, just our choices that lead us to that future. And I for one can't imagine making any choices that don't keep the both of us safe, whether that means we are together or have to be apart. But right now, I am wanting to choose to nap with my boyfriend in my bed for the first time while I still am on my lunch break." 

Will tried to settle into the bed and Derek's arms to fall asleep, but dread lurked in the back of his emotions. He wasn't sure if it was coming from himself or Derek, but it made him have weird half dreams of evil princesses and queens until Derek had to get up to go back to the shop.

Before he flew out, Will asked, "Hey, what was with the empty desk downstairs?" 

Derek grinned, "Oh, that's yours. I knew you'd be curious about the place and all the books. I figured you might want to tuck in there until dinner tonight."

"Oh. Thank you," Will grinned sheepishly, "Anything off limits that I should know about?"

Will regretted the question as soon as he asked. Derek was insufferable, "OHHH, well, my sex toys are scattered all about behind the books. Pay them no mind. And the occult books bite so bewaaaaare…" he theatrically added. Will pushed him towards the hole in the floor.

"Didn't you say you had somewhere to be? Other than bothering me and being a heathen?" he chided. Derek just laughed.

He leaned in, lips inviting Will into a kiss that took his breath away. "I'll see you soon love. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." 

"I wouldn't dream of it. See you soon," he waved as Derek flew out of the house. Once he was gone, Will went back through the volumes of books all over the house, picking up ones about the history of the faeries and customs and mannerisms that were important to know. He also picked up some of what looked like Derek's journals from a long time ago. They started out written in a language that seemed to move as he tried to read it, but eventually settled into more recognizable words. Once he had collected the books and scrolls he wanted to tackle, he settled in at the desk that was left open for him, gazing lovingly at the picture of the two of them before tucking in to his readings, determined to know as much as he could about the world of the faeries. If that was the danger that faced Derek, Will wanted to be ready so that he would not be a burden.

He was so into his reading, that he didn't realize how late it had gotten. He chalked up his tiredness to the poor nap that he had taken earlier, reading until he fell asleep at the desk. It wasn't until he awoke to find himself still alone in Derek's house that he realized that something was very wrong. He quickly flew through the few floors trying to see if Derek had ever come home. From what he could tell, the house had been empty since he fell asleep. Panicking harder, he flew out the doors and down to the counter-top in the shop. The stars shone brightly, but the twinkling lights in the shop's tree were an ominous red. A hastily scrawled note on the counter was all the Will could find. It simply read: 

_"Dex, I am so sorry that this is happening so soon. I owe you a better explanation, and another, better night in my house. When you find this: go home. It means that I have had to run again. I will be back for you, or I will perish trying. You have my word and my heart. Stay safe love, Nursey."_

__________________________________________________________


	7. So You’ve Got to Let Me Know, Should I Stay or Should I Go?

As Will got to the bottom of the note, the tree groaned and it's branches closed, cutting off Will's ability to leave even if he wanted to. "You and me both buddy," he said, assuming that the shop's soul had dropped at the same time his had. "But I don't want to leave. And I am not going to just let the shop fall into disrepair. Fuck that. I'm not some maiden trapped in a tower. We will be fine. Derek will be fine. This isn't the end of the story for us, I just know it." 

As he was pacing and reassuring the shop and himself, one of the plants from earlier blossomed open, revealing another little note. This one didn't look human in the slightest: it was written on what looked like a soggy napkin in a child’s scrawling handwriting. "Where is Dad?" the note read. 

"I'm not sure where Derek has gone", Will soothed the plant gently, finding strange comfort in the abnormalities of the shop, "But I am not going anywhere until we find him."

The plant bobbed before the same blossom shut and then reopened with another note. "Dad's powder is on the top shelf of the left cabinet. You will need it until you learn to shrink and grow."

"Thank's little one," Will patted it again. Water was dripping from the plant’s in that rows petals as if the garden was crying. "There there. We will be fine. I need to go home and grab my cat, but then I will be back. We can figure this out together." 

The tree groaned again as the branches opened up to let Will out into the night. Instead of walking, Will took to the skies and flew home. By the time he got there, he could feel the magic fading and felt himself return to his normal size. He tucked his wings in close to his body and walked into his house. Whiskers greeted him with a bump to his legs. Will went about collecting all of the things he deemed necessary for a potentially extended stay at the shop. He was a bit disappointed to realize that he could fit all the important things to him into one bag. He hadn't realized how little things he actually cared about until he started dating Derek and started to come alive for what felt like the first time in years.

He settled Whiskers into the cat carrier and took off with his one bag. The trip back to the shop was much shorter by flying, although he could feel how distressed his cat was. The shop let him in, locking itself up behind him. He let Whiskers out to get settled in. While Whiskers was exploring, Will looked for the booster so that he could make it into a drink. The tree apparently had vines, and they guided him to where most of the ingredients were hidden in the many cabinets around the shop. Will stayed up most of that night, learning from the shop itself the best ways to run it. He learned that each of the plants produced a certain essence that was distilled into the syrups used in the coffees for the shop. Each percolator had a different emotion that required a different bean to make work. A combination of syrups, coffee, and powders could create really nuanced emotional combinations.

Will wasn't great at it. It would have been easier if he had paid more attention to Derek when he had been around, or at least paid more attention to the work he did instead of his wit and looks and laugh. After the first week alone; however, customers regularly told Will that he was doing a fine job. Many asked where his husband had run off to, and the use of ‘husband’ stirred a longing in Will that he hadn't considered. He wanted desperately to talk to Derek about the marriage customs that he had read about in the volumes on faeries that littered Derek's shelves. He wanted to read more about how conception happened by will instead of by sex alone, and he wanted to ask about the bud system where baby faeries were grown in a flower as opposed to in a female faerie, making it possible at least in Will's mind that someday if Derek wanted…

A couple of new customers approached, shaking him from his thoughts. "What can I do for you today, gentlemen?" he asked, taking in their strange demeanor. One of the men was shorter than average by around 4 inches with blonde hair and a razor sharp smile that felt almost malicious. The other was significantly taller, with dark hair and a goofy grin that would have been reassuring had the smile touched his eyes at all. They stood at the counter for just a moment, sizing Will up before the shorter one spoke.

"We will take two of whatever your favorite thing is in this establishment, please."

"Are you sure? My favorite thing is almost syrupy sweet and will give you the giggles for at least 30 minutes. No offense, but the two of you look like you need a more subtle pick me up," Will sidestepped, feeling like he was playing a game that he did not know the rules to. It seemed to work, however, as the blonde one chuckled.

"That is more our style. Subtle pick me ups. We seem to have lost a friend, and it has made us most cross. Do you have something spicy? Maybe with cardamom?" he asked, looking squirmier by the word.

The taller one jumped in excitedly, "Actually, even cross, I would love to try the sweet drink. It has been awhile since I had a good case of the giggles."

Will nodded and simply responded, "Sure thing. I'm going to make y'all one chia tea latte, extra spicy with cardamom and a pick me up and the Green Giggle Shake. Would you be so kind as to tell me the name you'd like on your cup?" 

Both of their eyes hardened in response, and Will started to get a creeping feeling that he knew who they were and which friend they had lost. Regardless, he held his ground and waited for an answer. The taller one finally broke the silence, "My name is Chris. This is my friend Dicky." 

The shorter one’s glare could have cut daggers into the taller one, but he did not disagree, so Will went ahead and wrote the names on their mug and cup in marker that would come off in the wash later. "Just give me a short wait, and I will bring these over to you." 

The smaller one caught his arm before he could turn away. "Isn't it customary to exchange some form of payment for goods and services? We would hate to owe you a debt." 

Will shrugged and gently tugged his arm away. "The first drink is on the house. I'm not the usual barista, so I consider the first one good practice. After that, we can discuss payment options."

"I'm not sure we ever caught your name," the taller one slid in before Will could walk away. "What if we need your attention?"

"You may call me Dex," Will said, not sure why he switched to that nickname but feeling like it was the right decision. Seemingly satisfied, the two went and sat in what had always been Will and Derek's…

_'No, start using the nicknames so you don't slip up out loud,'_ Will reframed his thoughts.

Chris and … Dicky had made their way to Dex and Nursey's favorite booth. The way the plants rustled and the percolators tooted told Dex that they were feeling just as freaked out by the two new men in the shop. Dex decided that he would observe them as much as he could without making it obvious.

Before that observation, he needed to take them their drinks. He was glad for all the reading that he had been doing. The latte was relatively easy, but the Green Shake was a tough combination of magic, materials, and intention. In order to get the desired effect, he needed to pour as many happy memories of giggling into the drink at the same time as the syrup and the tapioca balls. Dex pulled up his favorite memories from all his time with Nursey: slipping over the frozen lake in the park on a dare and laughing when the ice cracked and they realized they had mistaken an overly large puddle for the pond; Nursey having read a book about Halloween and showing up with an atrocious costume for Whiskers to wear that went, as expected, spectacularly badly; Nursey doing impressions of Dex's worst clients after a particularly bad day. For a moment, he let his intentions slip; letting the melancholy feeling of Nursey’s absence sink into his bones. Luckily, he was finished with the drink, and after checking that they were both beautifully plated, he put them on a serving tray to take over to the men that were still glancing at him suspiciously. His thoughts moved to wonder more comfortable things: whether or not Nursey was also thinking of him, if he was off being safe or if he was in trouble, and if he was ever intending to come back. He had made a promise, but Dex worried that circumstances might prove there are promises that can't be kept…

Dex's stomach dropped, unable to bring himself to finish the thought as he heard a noise that he dreaded. The tinkling sounded at first like sleigh bells that they would play around Christmas-time, but progressed louder and more violently until they sounded like a wind chime being tossed about by a tornado. It was about an hour before close, and based on the lazy countenance of the patrons he was supervising, not including the two new ones, everyone but Dex was oblivious to the noises. He hurried over to the two new patrons and handed them their drinks. "The cups are on the house today; there's been an emergency, and I need to close up the shop. If you could make your way out, I'll be sure to give you another drink on the house next time you stop in to make up for the inconvenience."

Dex did not stick around to see if they collected their things. He was too focused on getting the rest of his regulars out the door so that he could figure out what to do with the bells. He knew there was an emergency, but the plan had stopped after the initial alert. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't just leave the shop unsupervised, but the damn bells felt like more of a call to action than any other thing since Nursey had disappeared. As he got the last regular out the door, he turned around to notice that the two new gentlemen were still sitting at their booth seeming to have a heated debate. As he got closer, he heard a snippet of their conversation before their eyes were on him again. 

"I think he can hear the bells. He's gotta be the one we were supposed to find. Maybe he will know where they took Nursey."

"Nursey said that his partner was a human. That is clearly a halfling; he's got wings but doesn't seem like a normal faerie."

"Yeah, but Nursey also thought that the Bandersnatch was just a puppy from really far away. He's so powerful that it blinds him to more subtle magics. What if he just didn't know?"

"Well, I guess we are just going to have to ask him since he's been _rudely_ eavesdropping on our conversation. What exactly is your emergency, shopkeep?" the shorter one asked him with suspicion still dancing in his eyes.

Dex froze, unsure what to do. He didn't know if he could trust the people in front of him, suspected that he couldn't really, but they had mentioned Nursey. "Well, you obviously can hear the bells," he finally stated.

"Yes, do you know how to turn them off?" the taller one asked, covering his ears and then shouting, "I think they are connected to the tree nymph's alarm system, but it's always different depending on the dimension and the type of bond between the nymph and the faerie."

Dex nodded, taking in the information that the shop was probably tied to a nymph in stride. He walked over to enchanted garden, noting that the bells seemed to be coming from them. "Shhh, little ones, shhh. I am not going to be able to find or help D… Nursey if you keep that up."

Will felt a breath of a hand on his shoulder, and almost fell over as he turned to see who it was. Where there had been no one, there was an at least-10 foot tall green woman in a flowing wrap dress with a warm smile. Dex could hear her speak, not aloud, but in his mind. "I will take care of the small ones and the shop. You can complete your business."

Dex just nodded. He tried to pull himself together, closer to fainting in that moment than he had been since the first time he had been exposed to so much magic. "Yeah, dude, just take deep breaths. Nymphs are older magic than even faeries. That's why they don't normally leave their trees to take a physical form like that. You must have a strong bond here. How do you know Nursey?" Chris asked him gently, guiding him to sit.

Dex shook his head clean, starting to get angry as opposed to confused. "No, no, no. You don't get to come in here today and ask me how I know Nursey or comment on how well I know his shop. Who are YOU two? Why are you here? I… I have to take some kind of action! I have stuff to do and if you're not going to help, you're going to have to leave!"

The one called Dicky smiled, his canines sharp like Nursey's when he turned. "Ooooh, now we are talking. I knew you had some fire in you. You can call me Bitty. And Chris you can call Chowder. We are here because Nursey has gone missing. He told us to find his partner and help him, meaning his partner which is apparently you, avoid capture if the bells rang. We were going to talk to you before hand to come up with a plan, but obviously the time for planning is passed. We need to hide you where the Queen can't use you as leverage."

"I am not just going to abandon Nursey somewhere in order to hide. Do you know where he is?" Dex shot back, still feeling defensive and unwilling to ignore the urge to move.

Chowder looked uncomfortable. "We do, but it's a little more nuanced than that. He's… safe. The Queen doesn't want to harm him. She just wants…"

Dex cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I know, I know. I've been told she wants grandchildren specifically by Nursey. So we have to bust him out."

Bitty jumped back in, "You aren't wrong entirely, but he's not exactly safe either. He has been appointed knight to the Princess. Unless someone steps up and kills the princess or Nursey or the Princess finds a different knight, he can’t just let go of that commitment."

"We can't let the princess be killed!" Chowder shouted, before tamping down on whatever emotion led to his outburst before Dex could parse it out. Bitty rolled his eyes.

"Chowder fancies the princess. They were courting before the Queen made the princess come to rule winter," he explained.

"You can't just tell Farmer's business like that," Chowder groused defensively.

"Wait, shouldn't you have just moved to winter with her?" Dex asked, thinking back to the books on court protocol that he read.

Chowder deflated. Bitty patted his back, gently consoling him. "The Queen put a curse on him when she stole the princess from summer to winter. Farmer can't see Chowder and thinks he died trying to save her. It's some sort of glamour that we haven't been able to dismantle."

Dex let the air hang heavy for a moment before speaking. "Well, we can't sit around and brood. We have to have a plan, and I think I have figured one out. If we can expose that Chowder is alive in front of the high court including the Farmer, the Queen will be labeled a liar and Farmer can just choose Chowder instead, freeing Nursey. Dissent will fall among the Queen’s supporters, giving us time to get away. Who is the current Queen Mother?"

Bitty shook his head but answered slowly, "Nursey's grandmother on his Father's side, although I don't see why that is relevant."

Dex plowed through even though Bitty's words made him pause, "She has more power than the Queen; if we could find a time when she was awake, we could convince her to strip power from the ruling Queen long enough for Farmer to seize the throne…"

Chowder cringed, obviously not liking the idea of Farmer having to fight the current Queen. "It could work, but only in the same way that you won't always perish when you fight a Jabberwok. Dumb luck will need to be on your side."

"I'm willing to risk luck if it means getting Nursey back safe," Dex countered. "So how do we get to Elphyme?" 

"Well, that is the other problem," Bitty stalled, "You see, you can't go to Elphyme. At least, not if you ever want to come back to the mortal world."

Dex froze in both action and thought. "What do you mean?"

Chowder laid a hand gently on Dex's shoulder. It had the same feeling as someone about to deliver condolences at a funeral, and Dex bristled at the pity. Chowder was unphased and went into his explanation without acknowledging Dex. "Halflings have to choose. They are born in one dimension between partners from two different dimensions. Usually between species that don't copulate by intention and those that do having a misunderstanding. The halfling child, once becoming aware of the choice will be stuck in the dimension that they choose, no matter the circumstances. You're a halfling: probably a faerie-human hybrid. If you choose to become a faerie, you will have access to your now latent powers, but you will give up your spot in the mortal world. Are you prepared to make that choice?" 

"We could always save Nursey and bring him back here until you both can run..." Bitty offered, sounding unconvinced even as he offered the alternate solution. 

The questions that had been plaguing Dex for the last few weeks magnified upon finding out he might be magic. He could choose to go to Elphyme, but he would be trapped in a world he had never known. What would become of his friends here? His house? Whiskers? The shop? Should he take Nursey's advice and run far away from the massive corruption and let the faeries sort themselves out?

And yet, Dex knew in his heart what he was going to do. The shop was magical. Dex was reminded of this as the nymph played with the ghostly children that must have represented the spirits of the enchanted garden. The kids pet on Whiskers who purred contentedly at the attention. Dex knew they would be fine. How long had it been since he had felt called to do something greater than coding? Something bigger than himself. Resolute, he turned back to Bitty and Chowder. "I'm ready to go. I've made my choice. I've got a boyfriend waiting for me somewhere out there, and I'm not gonna stop until I find him myself." 

"Attaboy," Bitty said with a devlish grin. Chowder looked as if he was about to say something else, warn Dex about the dangers again, but instead shook his head with a small smile. 

"Of course Nursey would have found the most stubborn halfling on Earth to fall in love with. Well, let's not keep our amours waiting any longer than we have to," Chowder stated as he and Bitty rose to their feet. As they did, Dex felt all the glamours they had been holding fall away, revealing their beautiful wing patterns and draped garments. 

Bitty's wings were twilight blue and stark white, the crispest lines creating a latticework of alternating, constantly changing color across his wings. His tattoos sparkled white like frost, splintering across his body, making his blonde hair lighter and his eyes look like honey. "You charmer; you ought to get better at making your affections of Nursey is going to get jealous," Bitty teased, causing Dex's eyes to snap away from him and to Chowder instead. Chowder was a sky blue with golden and purple accents, reminiscent of the summer sunset. He just smiled and let Dex drink in his appearance.

"Remember," he started gently, "Every faerie has their own unique coloration and patterns. If you are going to blend in, you're going to want to be a little more subtle about how amazed by the colors you are." 

"Sorry, you're both just gorgeous. Is your color based on your court?" Dex asked, remembering what Nursey had once said about flattery getting him everywhere with the faeries. It worked for that moment as Bitty launched into common patterns among each group.

"... and that's how you can tell the difference between some spring and summer and spring and winter patterns. Anyways, we are losing time. Are you going to take down your glamour or did you change your mind about coming?" Bitty finished.

Dex blushed, having forgot that he was still in his work clothes. "Oh, err. Give me a sec." His transformation happened in bits and pieces as the glamour fell off clumsily. He had practiced, but it was hard when you only had books and a tree to teach you. Once he felt the final glamour fall, he turned back to Chowder and Bitty who were peeking at his wings. 

Bitty's soft voice was a contrast to his sharp appearance. "Oh, those are beautiful. Nursey must have weaved them for you, right?"

Dex gave a bittersweet nod. "Yeah, it was one of the last things he gave me before he left..."

Chowder reached out and stroked his wing, causing it to flutter, "Once you go through the portal, these bad boys are going to be much more powerful and sensitive. We will need to stop for a minute just at the crossroads so that you can get your bearings before we portal hop to the castle. We will have an advantage because you are a new faerie: uncourted magic isn't as traceable as court specific. Are you ready?"

Dex nodded again. Each time he made the decision, he became more sure it was the right one. "Alright, loverboy, you lead the way to Nursey's portal."

Dex took off, shrinking as his feet left the floor, wondering what his life would be like on the other side of the mirror. When they arrived in Nursey's bedroom, Bitty detailed out more of the plan. "Alright, Chow, you take Dex through the portal here. I will shrink the house and come through the park portal and meet you at the crossroads. That should give Dex enough time to adjust to the new magic. Once we are all at the cross, we can find the hidden portal. We all clear?" 

Chowder and Dex nodded. "Great, see you on the other side!" Bitty shouted as Chowder pulled Dex through the mirror and into his new life. 


	8. Through the Looking Glass and the Things He Found There

The first thing Dex did when he exited the portal was dry heave for a solid five minutes. The portal felt like it had compacted him and then stretched him back out into a mock version of his original self. As the roar in his ears faded to a dull buzzing, he tuned into Chowder stroking his wings and whispering comforting words to him. Dex rolled over onto his stomach so that he could stretch his wings.

"Oh mercy, that was the worst thing I've ever felt. Why are we on the ground?" he finally spit out. When he made eye contact with Chowder, he was smiling his eerie grin.

"You look better this way, you know. More natural on you. And man, are you going to cause some ripples. You've got runes that I've never seen before and that corresponds to whatever powers you’re most attuned for," he prattled before realizing that Dex had asked him a question, "Oh, and you fell face first out of the portal. I decided to lay down on the ground with you so it would look more normal and planned. How are you feeling? Think you can stand up?" 

Dex took stock of himself. He was more than a little queasy, but also didn't want to spend anymore time laying on the ground. With a grunt and some help from Chowder, he found himself standing on his feet. He stretched, taking note of the way that his wings felt different than they had before. He tried to look over his shoulder to see where they connected with his spine, but he wasn't quite able to see them so low on his back. He could see the runes now that Chowder had mentioned. A sapphire glitter trailed just inside his vision, runes that he had read about but not well enough to recall their meaning floated in and out of his line of sight. In the time that Dex was checking himself out, or trying to at least, Bitty appeared, wearing a cloak.

"Madge and all her minions, could you all please put on some disguises? You're just… out here! Like he isn't a brand new faerie and you're not the rogue summer court knight," he grumbled, tossing them both cloaks that would disguise everything but their wings.

"What now? We are here. We have Dex. We have a scheme that's bound to get us killed…" Chowder checked the things he said off on his fingers as he said them.

"With that attitude, surely. Have more faith. Now, we need to sneak into the Queen Mother's room to get her on board with the plan and to even see if she is awake. Since the plan hinges on her, that should be our priority. We also need to see how much time has passed since we have been gone. Time moves differently between worlds. It is similar when you're there, but going through portals can take a very short or exceptionally long amount of time," Bitty started walking in the direction of what looked like a house at the edge of the crossroads. Because Chowder followed him, Dex did as well, listening to the plan. "I have a portal to the chamber of the royal guard, but from there we will have to sneak to the Queen Mother's room."

Dex rubbed his temples. Something felt off, something that he should know about, but he couldn't put his finger on. He continued to follow Bitty and Chowder into the hut. Chowder was teasing Bitty about having a portal directly to the guard. He was saying something about how some Zimmermann was just too appealing for Bitty to stay away, but Dex's off feeling had bloomed into a splitting headache. In a matter of seconds, he was on the floor, clasping his hair and crying out in agony. Chowder and Bitty were at his sides trying to ask him questions, but he couldn't hear them over the return of the roar and the buzzing in his brain. Through the white noise, he heard a familiar voice, also in pain…

_"I said, I can't soulbond with her. She is grieving, and I have a partner."_

__

__

"You can, and you will. We will break this stupid bond you have made with some mortal. As we speak, my minions are tracking him down to bring him back here. We will break him. How many humans do you know that can withstand the power of a Queen?"

"You wouldn't dare…"

"I will make him my consort and make you watch him fall into depravity. Or, you could save him. Just… let go of your end of your bond. He's mortal. He won't even notice. He will live his short little life and forget about you. You can marry the princess and solidify our dynasty. Don't you want to bring peace back to Elphyme? If you two unite, the court will accept our rule. With you gone, dissent only grows. A whole kingdom of immortals for one puny boy."

"He's not puny…" Dex felt a flash of pain and a trickle of blood.

"Do not speak unless you are going to say something productive."

There was silence in the noise as Nursey held his tongue. For the first time in a week, Dex could feel the bond between them. It was strained and painful, as if someone had wrapped it in barbs and hooked it to a taser. But Dex was not about to let go. He focused on finding his center and sending soothing emotions over the bond. The emotions recoiled at first; Nursey must have been feeling suspicious, and Dex had no idea how long he had been tortured like this. Nevertheless, he continued to pump positive emotions down the line: reassurance, hopefulness, bravery, and most importantly, love.

Dex heard a quiet, "Dex?" come from Nursey across the bond. Dex sent a mental affirmation. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by the Queen's voice coming back, louder than before.

_"Speaking over your bond is still speaking even if I can't hear it directly. If you're listening, Mortal, you should run."_

Nursey cried out in pain, and their connection once again became unbearable. The pain shot him back out of his own head to where Bitty and Chowder were crowded around him in concern. "You alright there, darlin’? You really seemed to take a knock. Maybe we should wait before using another portal."

"No!" Dex lunged to his feet, almost falling back over in the process. "The Queen is torturing Nursey using our soul bond. I have to get to him…"

Bitty and Chowder's eyes went wide before breaking out into devilish grins that by no means matched the panic that Dex was feeling. "That little rascal. He didn't say that you all had soul-bonded…"

Before they could take it to whatever teasing spot that they were headed to, Dex plowed through with more information, "The Queen mentioned that she had soldiers out looking for me and that they would bring me in at any minute. We might have company, so we will need to hurry."

Their smiles only grew wider. If Dex hadn't spent so much time around Nursey in his faerie form, he would have been intimidated, but the other two did not feel malicious: they felt mischievous. "Oh, she did. Two of her best soldiers actually. And we _are_ technically bringing you back to the castle, so we weren't lying that we would find you and return you. We just aren't taking you directly to her, get what I'm saying?"

Chowder struck a ridiculous pose and in a sing song voice, whispered, "Double-agents, man."

Dex relaxed considerably at that. "Oh, thank goodness. Let's move then. We have a prince to save."

Bitty and Chowder sandwiched him through the portal. This one was not nearly as harrowing. Chowder explained that interdimensional travel is always more of a hassle than innerdimensional travel because there's not as many cell conversions needed to survive in the receiving place. Dex did not want to consider what that meant about the physics and biology of traveling through a portal.

When they popped out, they were in a huge stone room with sparse furnishings other than the mirror and a full sized bed in one corner. Sitting on the bed was a dark haired guard. He jumped to his feet, his size and stature intimidating even as tall as Dex was. The guard faerie immediately softened when he saw Bitty.

Bitty ran to him and kissed him hard, panting afterwards, "Oh sweetheart, I missed you so much."

Chowder leaned in and whispered, "That's Zimms. He's captain of the royal guard and Bitty's partner. Nursey's mom let them co-captain the guard, but the new Queen is a traditionalist so Bitty was reassigned to the crossroads. Hence the portal."

"Does the Queen know about the portal?" Dex asked, wondering how safe that could possibly be for the rest of the people living in the castle.

"She doesn't, but if Bitty doesn't come through that portal with whoever is coming through, they get trapped in the in between. Hi, I'm Zimms. You must be the Prince's consort," the large faerie shook his hand. His wings were black, but looked as if they had oil spilled across them: colors translucent and floating just outside of the corner of your eye.

Bitty jumped in excitedly before Dex could respond, "Actually, they're soul-bonded." The way he waggled his eyebrows as he said it made Dex blush on instinct.

Zimms laughed a full bodied laugh, "Is that so? Who knew that it would take a mortal to make Nursey an honest man. The Queen is probably livid, but the Queen Mother is going to love this."

"Actually, that's exactly who we need to see. Can you get us there?" Dex asked hopefully.

Zimms patted him on the shoulder. "You'll need better disguises than cloaks. Let me see if Shitty is coherent enough to let us in to see the Queen Mother."

"Shitty?" Dex asked Chowder quietly.

Chowder snorted, "Yeah, apparently when Queen Larissa took the throne, she took on a young, nameless knight. Everyone kept saying he would 'be a shitty knight' and that's the name he took. B. Shitty Knight. He has stayed by her side for her entire reign. The years of service affect the knights, too. Instead of falling asleep, like the Queen Mother's, they get incoherent. They will hallucinate and spend most of the time when the Queen is asleep in their own little world. Shitty and Zimms went to the Knight academy together though, so sometimes he can get Shitty more lucid than others can. You definitely don't want to try to sneak past him. He is brutally defensive of her and always has been. Turns out, he was the opposite of his name."

"Does that not frighten you if Farmer is in line to take the throne? That you'll go insane?" Dex asked cautiously. He knew that it might be rude to ask, but his curiosity was bubbling over.

Chowder took on a far away smile, "Nah, I'm not afraid. We could have a long and happy rule to look back on. She would make an amazing Queen. Her fairness is parallel to that of Nursey's mom. And they say that the knight's hallucinations are just them living out the Queen Mother's dreams. I wouldn't mind getting lost in Farmer's dreams for the rest of my life."

"You must really love her," Dex sighed, thinking of his connection to Nursey. He understood doing unconventional things for love. When he looked back at Chowder, Chowder was smiling at him, a hint of tease around his eyes.

"I do really love her, but even we haven't soul bonded yet. What was it like?" Chowder asked, imploringly.

"I'm not even sure what you mean by all of that," Dex responded honestly.

Chowder groaned, "Come on, give us the deets. No need to be a prude!"

Luckily, Dex was rescued from the conversation by Bitty and Zimms reappearing with guard uniforms. "He's awake. Let's go while we can."

They quickly changed into their uniforms and flew out the main doors to Zimms quarters. There, Dex got a better taste for what the rest of the castle was like, and they WERE in a castle. They flew up high into the sky and the castle grounds stretched out for at least 3 of a traditional mortal castle. Dex would have been overwhelmed if Zimms hadn't been instructing them to fly in a specific flight pattern that required all of his attention.

Zimm's flew them to a tall tower in one of the distinctive thirds of the castle grounds. As Dex looked closer at the grounds, he could see that each third was dedicated to a specific realm of life: the first third was new growth: bright and energetic which Dex assumed was in honor of the Princess; the middle section was the most ornate and intricate in honor of the ruling Queen; the last section was mostly towers looming high above the ground in the clouds and gave off a dreamy feel, an homage to the Queen Mother and her slumber. When they landed on the balcony tower, a skinny faerie with long hair and a giant mustache greeted them warmly. "Always good to see whippersnappers come and visit their elders! And a new one! Fresh wings and all! Come to pledge your allegiance to the winter court?" Shitty smiled, obviously joking.

"Hello, sir. I am actually here because Nursey is in trouble. I need to speak with the Queen Mother to save him," Dex explained. It felt odd: the whole thing was out of a fairy tale. But it was happening to him. It was not the first time he had considered the idea that he might be dreaming…

Shitty grabbed him in a headlock and tousled his hair. "Don't get lost in the haziness of this area kid. Being this close to the Queen Mother can do weird things to your head if you aren't more guarded. Now, about your request. I can't let just anyone in to see my Lardo. What business do you have with the Prince that makes it so imperative that you wake up the most powerful being in our dimension?"

Dex was tired of having to defend his relationship. He was tired of people asking intrusive questions. He was tired of having to prove himself over and over. Mainly, he was tired. But he would to it ten-thousand more times if it meant that Nursey was safe. He sighed and continued, "He's my boyfriend. He's the love of my life. I gave up my mortal life to become a faerie so that I could save him because my soul longs for him to be safe and happy. To say that I love him is an understatement. And I can feel how much pain he is in. If I concentrate on it, it is overwhelming. I don't even know if our plan is going to work, but something has to stop the Queen."

A voice tinkled down out of the tower behind Shitty. "For fucks sake that was so sappy. Get your ass up here, boy, and let me see you." Dex froze where he was standing. He could feel the magic in her words alone, and he was struck with a sudden unshakable fear that she could rip his being to shreds without even being awake. He felt Shitty snort as he pushed Dex to the stairs.

"She definitely could," he said as if reading his mind, "And she will if you keep her waiting. Up you go."

Dex took off, flying up to the top of the tower in a spiral. He assumed this was the faerie version of a spiral staircase. When he got to the top, he saw a giant canopy bed with a little female faerie tucked into the mounds of sheets. Her dark hair was cut short, coming down to a point at her chin, and her gaze was just as sharp. "You must be Dex." She sized him up with her eyes before gesturing towards a kneeling pillow at the side of the bed. "You are weary. Come sit."

Dex followed her directions, kneeling on the pillow and leaning his head onto the bed. She continued to speak, although Dex couldn't tell whether it was aloud or in his head. "You're strong for such a young one. And you have powers that only the Queen shares. They are rare. She won't like that, but they will be necessary if you want to fix what she did to your friend, Chowder." 

"Can you tell me what my runes are?" Dex asked sleepily. It was hard to stay awake around her. It was like she was drawing on his energy just to stay awake long enough to talk.

"Is that what you really want to know? We don't have a lot of time to chat, I'm afraid. I'm wilting. That's why the Queen is trying to rush Derek and Caitlin together. When I pass, Caitlin will become Queen and Genevieve, the current Queen will sleep for 100 years before she has enough energy to reawaken," her voice was already fading into what sounded like snores. Dex pumped more of his energy into the connection.

"Whatever you can tell me that would help me save Nursey. Please," Dex focused on keeping her awake, but the power was so heavy that the energy required to do so was monumental.

"You will not be able to defeat the Queen. However, you are a magic writer; It's your strongest gift. Use your ability to release Christopher from his curse. Stall to keep the wedding from happening. You have not sealed your soul bond, that is part of why the Queen has been able to cause you so much pain with it. Once the dust has settled, ask Derek how to seal it. You are both more than ready. I'm perishing. The cycle of the Queens has been disrupted for long enough. Stall the wedding until nightfall. That's when the Queen will slip into her new role as Queen Mother," her voice was barely a whisper by the end of her sentence, and Dex knew better than to try to wake her back up. 


	9. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance UNLESS Piss Poor Performance is Premeditated

With a heavy heart, he flew back down the tower. He was met with equally somber gazes. "Shitty filled us in before he slipped back into his own little world. We just have to make it until nightfall then. And we have to get you to the heart of the castle before then, Dex. Shitty said that you'd know what to do when you got there," Zimms stated as he gently led Shitty back into the tower proper. When he emerged, Bitty recapped the plan. 

"Alright, Chowder and I will go and disrupt the wedding festivities long enough for you to get Dex into the heart of the castle. Once you're there, Dex can fulfill his destiny or whatever. Hopefully whatever he does will break Chow's curse so that Farmer can see him. That should throw enough of a wrench in the works to give us time to hide until the Queen fades into the Queen-Mother. Chow, you will need to suit up. As soon as the throne becomes available, Farmer is going to be in danger. Any questions?" Bitty finished.

"What do we do afterwards?" Dex asked cautiously.

Bitty looked at him incredulously. "We are balls deep into a Queen Mother's prophesy. We are just trying to get through what we know, much less the unknown. Focus on saving your boy. Then we will decide what's next."

Dex nodded. He actually felt a lot better focusing on the present rather than the future. After a moment of privacy between Bitty and Zimms, the group split, flying in different directions. Zimms was a quiet guide, lost in his own thoughts. Dex took the silence as a chance to feel along his bond with Nursey. He had felt it weakening as the day went on, and he could only imagine it had something to do with whatever the Queen had been up to. He felt Nursey lean into the comfort that he was sending.

"I can feel the difference between the real you and the false you that she implanted into my head," Nursey said directly to Dex, "But I fear that the more I reach out to you, the closer she will be to finding you. I wanted you to run. I didn't want you to get dragged into all this mess. And yet, you came for me. Why?"

Dex's heart clenched. He kept in mind that Nursey was emotionally exhausted, probably hurting and alone. "I will always come for you. I don't know that I could ever be completely happy without your annoying clumsy ass." 

Nursey snorted, a spark of life across their bond that momentarily filled the part of Dex that had felt missing since he had stepped through the portal. Confidence. Trust. That is what had been missing between them. Nursey had been trying to close himself back off. Just in case he was alone. Just in case Dex had followed his advice and ran. "You love my ass," he joked. There was a hint of the flirt that Nursey normally had there that Dex leaned into, hard. 

"I do. I love your ass. I love your eyes and your laugh and the way you trip over your words when you're excited. I love the stories you tell. I love every part of you that you share with me. And I promise, sincerely, that it will take more than a warning note and scary evil Queen to keep me from your side. Can you hang in there for a couple more hours? We have a plan."

"We?" Nursey asked, curiosity tinging his voice, "Well, are y'all going to show up at the wedding. The queen has pulled out all the stops. She's rushing us through pre-marital counseling in front of the court this afternoon so that we can be wed by nightfall." 

"We weren't invited, but you best believe that we will be there," Dex said as Zimms snapped in front of him to gesture that they were landing in the middle of the Queen's portion of the castle. "I love you, Nursey."

He could feel Nursey smile at the use of his faerie name. "I love you, too, Dex. I will be waiting."

Dex let the connection fade to the back of his mind. He was feeling pretty drained from the work that they had done, but knew that he wouldn't be able to rest until everything had ended well. Zimms motioned for him to remain quiet and march like a guard. Dex modeled his posture and movements after Zimms and followed him through the maze like corridors of the Queen's castle. 

There was a stale smell in the air: as if someone had tried to spray an air freshener over something foul. Dex thought back to the smell that the shop gave off when it thought that Nursey was gone and wondered if this was the castle rejecting the current Queen. Zimms stopped them in front of in intricately carved door. "I can't go in there. Being around raw magic makes me ill. But you apparently have a gift for it. Here's the key. I'll be out here when you're ready to go." 

Dex stepped into the dark room. As soon as the door shut, lights appeared all around him moving in a scrolling pattern from floor to ceiling. Once his eyes adjusted, Will's mouth dropped open and a giggle came tumbling out. "OH my fuck," he laughed, unable to contain it or control it, "The heart of magic is fucking code."

Just like in his line of work, the whole of magic was run by a code. It wasn't the code he was used to working with, but he easily picked up the patterns and started making connections to what different lines were for. According to what he could get from the code and his instincts, this was the code for the entirety of the winter court. He could see the termination time for the power of the current Queen-Mother and the transition from Queen to Queen-Mother hidden deep with the obscure parts of the code. 

Most importantly to him though, he could see where a novice had changed the natural flow of the code. It looked mangled and red compared to the more natural free flow around it. Dex knew that this was probably the curse that the Queen had patched. It was like a computer virus that seemed to only affect Farmer and Chowder. Dex gently touched the patch with his hand. The magic stung him, and he recoiled. Someone had taken measures to protect the patch, wanting it to last. Dex continued to look around until he could find the patch's failsafe. Once he had deleted that, the patch no longer stung him, and he made quick work of deleting it. Afterwards, although he wanted to explore more of the way the code related to magic, he felt more of a call from Nursey. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

Rushing back out of the room, Zimms immediately caught on to Dex's panicked expression. "What's wrong?"

Dex felt his connection growing weaker and weaker. "We have to get to the ceremony. Something is amazingly wrong, and I can't get Nursey to respond to me."

Zimms nodded and led the way quickly to the main throne room. There, the room had broken out into chaos. Farmer and Nursey were stuck in what looked like a bird cage opposite a larger cage where Bitty and Chowder were fighting with what seemed to be a dragon. Sitting on the throne was an overwhelmingly beautiful woman who Dex could tell was more dangerous than gorgeous. "Well, will you not kneel for your Queen?" she said with a smirk. Every eye in the room turned to Dex and Zimms.

Zimms hit his knees, seemingly without his own volition. Dex remained standing, unwilling to be on his knees for anyone but… "If you do not kneel, I will kill the prince where he stands. Do not test me."

Dex knelt down on one knee. He was not willing to gamble Nursey's life for anything. "Funny little mortal. You come into my court and assume you know the rules. The court would never defy their Queen. They can't. It's in the magic itself." With a wave of her hand, she pulled up a subsection of code. "It's right here. If you had only seen it when you were poking around fixing that virus, maybe you could have stopped me. As it is, you've just made my poor Princess have to watch her young knight die in battle instead of letting her live with the knowledge that he was already dead to her."

Dex felt helpless. What could he possibly do now to fix this? There had to be something: Lardo had said that he needed to fix the code… he thought of the Queen Mother's words. When she perished, the Queen would fall asleep and Caitlin would take the throne… Dex realized what he could do; a last ditch option. He had no idea if he could access the code like the queen could, but he figured he would never know until he tried. He focused on the code clause that stated the date and time that the queen mother was going to perish. He focused on moving the time down, closer to the current moment. The Queen screamed from her perch on the throne. "What are you doing? Get out of there!"

He could feel the Queen trying to shut him out of the code. Dex dodged and kept working on rolling the time forward. The room got colder as the Queen started to get more and more silent. She slowly started to slumber. As her power started to increase, her energy started to burn out and she visibly started to shrink. As she fell asleep, the dragon that Chowder and Bitty were fighting morphed back into a regular faerie who was also seemingly falling asleep. The two cages opened up before disappearing completely, melting into nothing as the Queen’s eyes were forced closed from exhaustion. As soon as her eyes fully closed, her form and her knight’s shimmered until they disappeared. As she disappeared, the crown that she had been wearing appeared over top of Farmer's head. She ran over to Chowder and kissed him and continued crying. The court shuffled about restlessly, not sure what to do. 

After a minute of silence, Farmer stood up and addressed the crowd as the new reigning Queen. She called upon Chowder as her new knight and dismissed Nursey from his duties.

Nursey ran and scooped Dex up in his arms, spinning him around. He kissed his cheeks and his lips and his forehead until they were both breathless and laughing. Their bond bloomed back to life and settled into a warm glow around both of them. "You're here; oh, goodness, you're actually here. And look at your wings! And your runes!" Nursey marveled at Dex's faerie form. "You're gorgeous."

"You're gorgeous," Dex mirrored back the sentiment, taking in how gold and glittery Nursey was now that they were surrounded by magic. "I told you that I would come for you. And I am here now."

Bitty and Zimms came up to give Nursey a hug and fill him in about the day they had. "You didn't tell us you had soul-bonded with Dex. You just said that you had a partner, you dog. Are you going to have a customary wedding now or a traditional engagement period?"

Nursey blushed from his head to his toes, his tattoos swirling to chase the blush across his body. "We were doing things the mortal way… I haven't even mentioned it… Dex, I swear I was going to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Dex asked, exhaustion finally hitting him. He was almost ready to just lay down on the ground if it meant that he would get some sleep. 

"Faeries only soul bond with one partner in their whole lifetime. It's basically the biological way we know we've found our person since we live so long. I was afraid to mention it, but since we might be stuck here for awhile, no time like the present, right?" Nursey said sheepishly.

"And I'm supposed to be the sap. I'll be willing to talk about it more in the morning when you can show me what everyone's been insinuating. But for now, Nursey?" Dex yawned really big and crawled into his boyfriend's arms.

"Yes, love?" Nursey responded, running his hands through his hair and over his wings. 

"Take me to bed?" 

"Of course. My pleasure."

"Derek?" 

"Yes, William?"

"I love you."

Derek smiled, flying up to his old quarters with Will in his arms. "I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for coming on this wild ride with me and our boys. I had so much fun writing this. I would love to answer any questions you have, and I am admittedly bad at html, so catch me on tumblr at smilingsarah10. Also, let me know if you're interested in spin-off one shots in the comments below.
> 
> In conjunction with this story, I have gotten to work with some amazing artists! picktheonesthatlast did an amazing 8tracks playlist and sexydexynurse made some really amazing aesthetic boards to go along with the story that you can see at the top of chapter 1. Check them out on tumblr as well and shake their hand for doing such great art!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you have enjoyed (or are enjoying) my work! If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can find me (occasionally) on tumblr at smilingsarah10


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